Quote Originally Posted by lucy View Post
Then I hope it's not us, but some life form that proves to live up to the term 'intelligent'.
I believe you're confusing intelligence with mercifulness. They do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. A "higher" species might view us along the same lines as we view a cockroach. I bet you would kill a cockroach that's in your home. You've probably even sprayed for bugs.