The issue is respect for life. When we as a society respect life collectively more of our members will also. 
When we are casual about life and ignore the wars we fight, the hungry, the homeless, the unjustly imprisoned, the people sickened by environmental degradation, and yes, when we decide that killing is justifiable when we sanction it as a state sponsored execution, we as a society are not respecting life and people get hurt. And when we as a society don't respect life many of our members don't also and we have 27 murders in Anchorage.