Let me rephrase a statement:

WHEN does it become acceptable (moral) (ethical) for society (or The State, if you'd rather) to do something which it is forbidden for me as an individual member of society to do? Again, from where does society derive the authority to forbid me to do something which society allows itself to do?

My old ethics professor defined ethics as "the necessary ought." My old morals teacher defined morals as "culturally and religiously defined ways of thought and behavior." Both were Catholic priests, and both seperated ethics from morals. Neither could effectively answer the questions.