Insects not "lower animals"?

[Pavulaan at aol.com]

Stop me if I am wrong, but somehow I always believed man was superior to all
lower animals (all animals but man).  Who invented things?  Travelled into
space?  Studied math, physics, chemistry, philosophy?  Who pondered WHY we
are here?  Certainly not insects.  As for a godlike man: we're there!  It's
called genetic engtineering.  I think the above clearly separates us from our
"lower friends".  

Perhaps lower life forms need not evolve any "higher", or cannot evolve into
niches already occupied!  If they could, what would that do to the food
chain?  But where does this arguement stop?  If insects were equally evolved
as man, then what about protozoans, viruses?  If we follow this course, we
will soon be seeing a protozoan-rights movement!

Sorry to say, the notion that lower life forms are equal to humans is
fundamentally dangerous to the advancement of mankind.  This is the notion
that drives the far-left, hard-core animal rights movement.  This does not
mean we have to eliminate lower life forms, sure we can and should leave room
for them.  But to equate man with insects....

I must be missing something.

Harry Pavulaan