> not rationally but according to their outward threat to ourselves

If we did that, it would be rational, and an improvement. The unfortunate truth is that we tend to judge people for being outsiders, so while alcohol causes much more harm to others than heroin or crack cocaine (citation below), “we drink alcohol so it must be fine”.

Same with terrorists: if the killer is one of “us” they are “a troubled lone wolf”, if the killer is one of “them” then “that just goes to show how nasty they all are”.

Same with child abusers: “stranger danger” is what people worry about, but most documented abuses are committed by close relatives.

(Relative harm: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_harmfulness#/media/File...)