Guns - Reframing the Debate

Published January 22, 2013 in Talking Points by Sharon Harris

Guns: Reframing the Debate Words have enormous power.   Words shape how we and those we are talking with view the world and react to political events.   Using  (Read More)

Separation of Marriage and State

Published May 17, 2012 in Talking Points by Sharon Harris

The issue of gay marriage is in the headlines right now.    Libertarians, of course, have the best solution to the conflicts now raging on this issue. The libertarian position ends all the political arguments over how government should define marriage and what government should and should not allow.    To cut to the heart of this issue, try using this simple phrase: “separation of marriage and state.”   A conversation might go something like this:    “Just  (Read More)

Telling How Libertarians Are Different from Liberals and Conservatives

Published January 09, 2012 in Talking Points by Sharon Harris

Recently, Liberator Online editor James W. Harris was trying to think of a way to explain libertarianism to a child. The child, though smart, was ignorant of most political concepts.

He thought over his usual stock of answers, and found them lacking in this situation.

Finally he came up with something like this:

"Liberals and conservatives both believe the government should force peaceful people, at gunpoint if necessary, to live the way they think they should. Libertarians are against this."

 (Read More)

"Cross-Dressing" For Liberty

Published January 03, 2012 in Talking Points by Sharon Harris

What if you want to convince a conservative friend that the War on Drugs should end? Suppose you want to persuade a liberal relative that anti-gun laws are a bad idea?

You'll likely get nowhere talking with the conservative about civil liberties and the right of an individual to decide what goes into his body. And you may scare the liberal half to death if you start talking about bearing arms.

There's a better way. Dubbed "political cross-dressing" by persuasion coach and author Michael Cloud, it dramatically increases  (Read More)