Well, yeah, there is that. But I would say that attitude comes more from the politicians than NASA or the astronauts. Really, the number of people killed in space exploration so far is vanishingly low and a real indication that we aren't really doing all that much. Even if you assume the risk is high (doubtful) the exposure is so low that over the course of their careers, astronauts are in much greater danger from their commute to work than going into space.
It isn't that you want to kill people, it is that people die when pushing the envelope. The fourteen people killed by the shuttle were due to bad management more than anything else.
Management is either paranoid or complacent. Right now, paranoia rules.