People aren't "terrible". Your statement is rather culturally normative and subjective.
It's simply that evolution & nature are both amoral.
We've evolved into Apex Predators [1]. Other great ape species and mammals also kill other animals, as well as band together into groups to fight each other (e.g. ape troops, lion prides). Even some organized insects do so (ants, asian giant hornet).
I looked up culturally normative. I think it's something to do with "cultural norms", so to say something is "culturally normative" indicates that it's one of a culture's "norms". If I don't get that right, feel free to correct me, I'm interested to learn about this terminology.
Definitely my view is subjective. It's my personal feeling about it. I'm not pretending to tell other people how they should feel about it. Nor would I expect them to tell me.
I agree we are Apex Predators and that's a good thing. I just think we can use our brutality responsibly and considerately. Hunt for food in a way that respects and maintains ecological balance, to me, is different to hunt for trinkets and sport.
If the elephants are attacking villagers indiscriminately and stomping children, and the 3 tribes eliminated were genetically predisposed to that behavior, I'd be there with you all carrying my pitchfork (or musket, or whatever), ready to "keeell those darned demonic elaphunts!" But if it was just gratuitous violence for trinkets against a large, caring, intelligent and sentient species, I think that's horrible, and that the people who did it, and that side of our nature (gratuitous cruelty) makes us terrible, and I feel it's terribly sad for us and the elephants.
I'm not attacking you personally, nor saying eating meat (or killing animals for some reasons) is terrible. But if you feel people aren't terrible in some ways, I get that perspective, I just think and feel differently about it!
It's simply that evolution & nature are both amoral.
We've evolved into Apex Predators [1]. Other great ape species and mammals also kill other animals, as well as band together into groups to fight each other (e.g. ape troops, lion prides). Even some organized insects do so (ants, asian giant hornet).
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_predator