There's suicide and there's suicide...it is not a one size fits all scenario.
SNIP
I feel more sorry for the loss of the captain you describe than many who decide to kill themselves.
HOWEVER
You decided that their right to death was not as great as your former Captains was. You decided that they had a mental disease and needed protecting from themselves.
Heck you may even have been right in your assumptions but you made these decision and then used force to carry out what you decided needed to happen. No you did not protect their rights, you interfered with them deciding that your judgement was better than theirs. AND it very well may have been, but my point is that it is not for us to decide.
Let's go back to the Captain. Perhaps he was suffering from severe depression brought upon him by what he was suffering with the cancer. Based upon your rational for "protecting" people from themselves, there is no "logical" reason for why you allowed the Captain to commit suicide.
The only difference I can see is that you respected him. Because of that you allowed him to make his own choice. However when looking upon others making that same choice (for whatever reasons) you do not respect them, their choices, or the reasons behind their choices, and have decided that your judgement is better.
You compare these people, who may or may not be as deserving of the respect you gave to your Captain, to being "toddlers" and what do you do when a "toddler" wants to run out into speeding automobiles? You intervene.
Let me take from you your liberties today, so that you may be able to enjoy them later. So where is the line?
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