I think it comes down to a large section of the population not actually being people or even really sentient. They're just animals reacting to stimuli rather than actually possessing any capacity for cognition.

At this point I'm not sure that I would call them people, since they don't appear to have souls. This isn't even a religious thing for me. I've interacted with dozens, perhaps hundreds of them, and when I look into their eyes, I don't see an intelligent, curious being. I see a herd animal, who would rather let their offspring be eaten by lions than take the risk of standing their ground, who flees with the other buffalo when the herd moves.

It's been one of the most disturbing realizations I've had over the last decade.