- The second rule for
arguing, know your stuff. As I said, this makes you a better person and it also makes you a better debater if you actually know the
material that you're arguing. I'm not just talking talking points. I'm talking about know your own worldview. I'm talking about you
should have a worldview that can explain why certain
rights are self-evident. You should understand why the founders thought what the founders thought. You shouldn't just read the
founders and take it as gospel. Instead what you should
do is you should say, "Okay, what was the root
of the founders' thought? "Was that a good argument
or a bad argument?" Because the truth is
that when Jefferson says in the Declaration of Independence, that these truths are self-evident, by its own terms that is not true. Obviously, these truths
are not self-evident. Right, there are literally
billions of people all over the world who
don't believe these truths that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with
certain unalienable rights. Alright, literally billions
of people do not believe this and the vast majority of people throughout human history have not believed this. What Jefferson actually meant
when he said self-evident, he said, "Self-evident to anyone "who has thought this stuff through "in light of right, reason,
and Judeo-Christian values." which means that it's
up to you to actually do your reading and know your stuff. So, you know, this is why I am gonna put up a reading list on my website. This is why YAF has its own reading list. Do your reading, eat your vegetables, and then you can know things,
and knowing things is fun because the left doesn't know anything. (audience laughs)