When do we break rules for a greater good? Personally? Politically?

Question

Someone I was close to is dead from suicide following durg use. He would not live with his father, the only family memebr who recovered from use. He refused to get help. Now, if his father had beaten him up, sent him to the hospital, and told them about the need for detox, would that have been justifiable? He might have been OK, not dead.
So, aren't there some things we do in war, because that's that?
Are there some war crimes that need to be committed, because nothing else is working?
Or are we going to let drug addicts and criminals and terrorists and murderers roam free, so we can hope to catch them and nicely bring them to an orderly trial...
Soon, we may not have enough citizens left to carry out the detective work and the jury selection and the- and the- and the- and we will be overrun.
Sorry, this PC crap has to go.
Bush better stay off my phone line, and not even think about censoring this question, though! :-)

Answer 1

Quite frankly, we break rules when the benefit outweighs the alternative (following the rule). However, by doing what you propose it would not outweigh the benefit of his own personal freedom, or the freedom of others to choose their own lifestyle. Although you feel it's wrong for him to do drugs, he has that personal right to CHOOSE his own destiny. He chose to die. He has that right. Nothing outweighs the right to control your own destiny.

Answer 2

Drug dealers, murderers and other criminals must be punished to deter other people doing the same crimes.