Family vs. Society

I think the best example of someone either choosing society or family in All My Sons, is that Joe Keller shipped out those cracked cylinder heads in the hope that someone would realize they were faulty and ship them back which would give him more time to keep his son at home, and not at war. He wants to protect his son and the rest of his family so badly that he put everything on the line to try and make that possible. However, he chose to not put family first when he didn't say anything to his family or the family of the man wrongly accused. When the truth finally does come out, Keller justifies his actions by insisting that he did it for his family. His wife doesn't help matters either. She refuses to believe that her son, Larry, is dead. She says, "Your brother's alive...because if he's dead, your father killed him. Do you understand me now?...God does not let a son be killed by his father." (156;66). Joe tries to explain why he did what he did when confronted by his other son Chris. He is quoted saying, "there's nothin' he could do that i wouldn't forgive. Because he's my son...I'm his father and he's my son, and if there's something bigger than that I'll put a bullet in my head!" (163;73).
In my opinion, I think it was wrong for Joe to knowingly send off those parts. Not only was the life of his own son immediately put at risk, he put the lives of 21 other pilots in the same danger. He took someone else's sons by doing what he did and it wasn't right. I can also understand where he is coming from though. If my family was in danger of something, and if I could actually do something about it, there is nothing that could stop me from getting it done. I think that it all depends on the situation. I think it's only right to do something maybe a bit risky to protect your family only if nobody else gets hurt by whatever you do. You also can't always listen to society. You have to learn to stand up and speak up when you think something is wrong. It could hurt somebody, but maybe to someone else it could be the greatest thing that ever happened. If a bunch of people are at risk of getting hurt, then I don't think its fair to endanger them for your own family. But when it comes to the greater good of everyone, then yes, stand up to society and to what you believe is right.