Don't Confuse Compassion for Open-mindedness

There is a tendency to consider oneself open-minded if one believes in liberal causes.  This is probably because one who believes in liberal causes considers themselves willing to make sacrifices for the good of others, which may be construed as being open-minded.  This, however, is faulty logic.

 Suppose a parent has a child who has a bone marrow deficiency which leaves the child's immune system seriously weakened. The child's doctors suggest several forms of treatment, ranging from immune stimulating therapy such as interferon to bone marrow transplants with the parents acting as donors. The parents are willing to do anything to save their child's life and therefore consider all options.  After researching all possible avenues, they decide upon the immune therapy since this is determined to be least traumatic for the child while providing a good chance at recovery.  This would be considered an informed, "open-minded" decision.

On the other hand, suppose the parent decided that the best way to help their child was to make the ultimate sacrifice of making a marrow donation, even if the doctors suggested this might not be the best course of treatment.  Despite the doctor's urging the parents are convinced that they must take this step to assure their child's survival.  The parents may consider themselves open-minded because only a supposedly open-minded person would consider making such a sacrifice. However, they are mistaking loving, caring and concern with objectivity, and in the process may be endangering the very life they hope to save.

The same may be true of any political belief, especially liberal ones, because they often are derived from the heart rather than logic.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with caring and compassion unless they get in the way of objective reasoning, in which case more harm than good may be the result.  It is interesting that pilots who find themselves in a tailspin are taught that letting go of the wheel may be the best way to let the plane regain control of itself. Likewise, it may be true that removing the governments hand from the wheel of control in our lives may be the best remedy as well.  It is an option that needs to be considered as openly as any other.