When we first turned our sights to the planet just sunward of us, we sought to gain it through peaceful means. We thought, perhaps, that if we greeted the humans with politeness and pleasant demeanors, we would be able to negotiate a settlement plan. We found that the land masses the humans call Great Britain, Greenland, and Iceland, and the upper part of North America would be more than satisfactory for our people (as, by our nature, we prefer colder climates), while the warmer areas would have made our stay on the planet even more uncomfortable. We would have devised a way to live peacfully with the humans; we would, of course, require a food stock, but we were confident that the humans would be willing to supply us with members of their own kind. We noticed there seemed to be some sort of racial prejeduce between certain groups of humans; indeed, the darker skinned humans seemed to be deemed inferior to the lighter skinned. Perhaps we would have been given the dark ones.
But as our studies continued, we began to realize just how violant the humans were. We researched the reasons behind their racial problems, and found entire lists of peoples that had been exterminated and effectively destroyed. We also discovered that, many times, intentions with peaceful means would often end up with bloodshed. It was also discovered that our apperance alone would cause panic and fear.
It was thought that slightly more aggressive negotiations would be required. We would land in force, give the humans a taste of our technology and power, and then talk to them peacefully.
It became clear that this would not be suitable.
The humans are, by nature, very stubborn. If we came to them, testing out weapons and seeming hostile, they would destroy us.
We also came to the conclusion that, despite how they treated each other, the mere mention of using them for food would send them into a maddened mob, and the negotiators would be quickly killed.
After idea and idea, we finally accepted that the final destruction and disintigration of the human culture was the only way to save our race. The human society would be wiped away, and they would be rounded up and used as food. While many of us were slightly uncomfortable by this option, we all agreed that it was the only way. Besides, if the human race managed to develop space travel, they would have taken their hostility and violance with them, and spread it to the various other inhabitants of the universe.
Perhaps it is best if we kill them all. We doubt the universe would miss them.
Written by an unknown Martian Scribe, discovered during the Mars landings of 1963, translated by the Martian Research and Assimilation Facility.