You're right, it's a delicate/not-delicate, and I wasn't comfortable going that far in the comment, so I'm rather glad you did.
There's political correctness and then there's human values. I'm waiting for someone to defend the position of a rapist...I mean really? I've heard people do it here, the same with paedophiles and it blows my mind.
I understand your stance on the non-violent thing and, in an ideal world, that could work. But, in a society that glorifies it (movies/video games) and seems to love it so much...well, I'm not so sure. People say fighting violence with violence isn't the way...I wonder what standing in a line holding flowers would have done in Poland when the Nazi tanks rolled in back on 1 September 1939. I know many people who say they abhor violence, when it suits them, but they'll watch MMA, or play a violent video game. Humans are simply weird.
I don't know any of the answers really, I just have my opinions based on perceptions and experience. I can say for certain though, that if, for instance, someone home-invaded my house and raped my partner they had better kill me first as I'd not be merciful or kind to them if they did not. I'm that type of guy I'm afraid, some don't understand and some totally agree. I'm ok either way.