The point he is making is a valid one- at one time the majority of people in the south thought that slavery was acceptable- it's not. Just because a majority of people think one thing, doesn't make it right or even true. That was his point. That was his argument.
You talk of love and you balk at the idea that the language being used is dehumanizing... That is the major issue here, using a moral foundation approach seems the best way to deal with this crisis. take some time and check out this article, it really outlines a really effective approach to this crisis.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/understanding-morals-is-key-to-accepting-safe-injection-sites/#:~:text=Internationally%2C safe injection sites have,public drug injection or nuisance.