It makes sense that humans care deeply about classifying “us” vs. “them”.  Such an instinct is what allowed us to discern between other species (many of which may be harmful to us) and our own; being part of a collective provided oneself with a higher chance of survival.  Modern advancements have afforded many of us the peace of mind of not having to battle to live on the day-to-day.  However, this pattern of thinking has managed to persist and, more nefariously, has been warped to justify cruelty.  In “Jerry Was A Man”, Jerry’s status as a nonhuman was enough for various characters to warrant treating him as a slave of sorts.  The implication beneath this treatment is that nonhuman creatures aren’t as intelligent (this is, perhaps, why the folks are so disturbed by the Martian) and therefore are unworthy of the same empathy.  Ironically, I see this very perspective as evidence for exactly why humans aren’t particularly intelligent.  In my personal experiences, I’ve had countless debates about why humans aren’t necessarily any more remarkable than other species of life, and the opposing side almost always tends to lean on arguments about space travel, scientific advances, and awareness of the universe.  However, I see “Dolphin’s Way” to be an illustration of the flaws within such logic; how could we possibly be champions of the interstellar frontier if our communication, empathy, and comprehensive skills are so fragmented, so limited, that we can’t establish even rudimentary translation of animal languages?  Of course, we can discern between mating calls and calls to arms in various species of bird, but what makes us think that we’re smart enough to establish meaningful discussion with a spacefaring entity if we can’t talk to creatures that share the vast majority of our DNA?

Also – for interested folks, the U.S. government did studies about dolphin intelligence wherein researchers attempted to teach the animals English (they also gave them LSD).  Of course, it didn’t work – but it certainly says a lot about humans that we put the impetus on dolphins to understand us rather than vice-versa.  “Dolphin’s Way” isn’t as fictional as it might seem… [There is a documentary called “The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins” detailing this and here is a link to more information on the study itself – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/08/the-dolphin-who-loved-me]