are vegetarians more ethical by not eating meat?

[littleendian]

But I'm also realistic. Nature is nasty. The amount of suffering of animal-on-animal behavior is just abysmal. Not to mention the very nature of some animals that have their own taxonomy: parasites. Parasites cause untold suffering.

This is not a justification. Other's cruelty can never excuse our own. Man is not primarily part of nature anymore, he/she is most importantly part of a culture today. This culture is subject to the rules society gives itself, it is not based on the rules of nature, a good example is rape, which is a fact of nature but outlawed by society.

So, let's not delude ourselves, there's enough of suffering to go around - if only idiots like PETA would realize this, or do they think they can lessen suffering in how nature is?

We can minimize the suffering we ourself cause, yes we can.

I'd argue that free range animals have a better life than what occurs outside the fences with occurrence of natural predators ripping them apart.

I'd rather live free and in danger than a prisoner without great hopes or fears, my destiny set from the word go, to be killed in prime of life (old animals don't taste well).

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Are you comparing child abuse and war to eating meat? Seiously?

Both are causing unnecessary harm and suffering to others merely for the pleasure of the perpetrator, however the one is outlawed the other is not due to an arbitrary line drawn by society between humans and other animals, and this line has no founding in reason whatsoever. Reason clearly tells us we're no special in our ability to suffer and if we desire to lead a life without unnecessary suffering we must also grant this right to all others who have the same interest. Everything else is highly irrational and unworthy of a thinking person.