Is personhood an opinion?

Did you ever think that perhaps the root cause of many social problems is that the status of personhood is perceived as just an opinion?  If one person's opinion is that another is less of a person than oneself, then any behavior against the other is allowable and justified.  (History shows us that legality is not a factor as laws can be changed and are changed.) 

Women are considered inferior to men; so men feel justified when putting a woman into 'her place' through domestic violence.  Malala was shot for advocating women's education, defying male dominance over women.  Gays are bullied for their sexual orientation.  Ethnic and racial groups are marginalized, segregated and eliminated through genocide. 

Think of how groups of people are dehumanized through words or images.  In Rwanda before the genocide began the radio station RTLM referred to the Tutsis as "cockroaches".   Jews were described by the Nazis as "lazy", "inferior", "robbers", "vermin" and "lice".  African-Americans were labeled "apes".  Native Americans were commonly referred to as "savages".  How much easier is it to harm or kill someone else if that person is not as 'human' as you?

Abortion is justified by many as the removal of an object or a clump of cells.  Others admit that those cells are the beginning of a person, but just not yet a person; therefore an abortion is acceptable.  Euthanasia is urged in some places for those unable to function to the standards of the world. 

Is child abuse an effect of abortion?  The disposable unborn becomes the disposable baby, child, teenager?

Could even the violence of street gangs be attributed to those members viewing members of other gangs as less of a person? 

The only possible way to give dignity to all is to respect the personhood of all people from the moment of conception to their natural death. 

A stretch?  I don't think so.  But of course, it is just my opinion.