I was raised Republican. There is currently a crayon drawing of George Bush in my parent's basement that I created when I was six and I thought the world was ending when McCain lost. For most of my life I was Republican (from womb to age about 12 or 13) and every other person in my immediate family is Republican as well, so I guess you could say I have a pretty good handle on the way Republicans think.

And I do realize that this article will probably get more reads from conservatives clicking on it and going, "What's this snowflake saying about us now?" ('cause if the article were reversed I'd totally click on it going, "What are these uptight intolerant baby boomers saying about us now?"), but I'm going to write it anyway, and hopefully, I'll help a fellow "lib" (as my parents call us) debate a little more delicately at the Christmas dinner table when their aunt brings up the wall.

I have three main broad tips that will help debate a conservative, these will work on almost any topic of discourse.

1. Mind your lingo

This is probably the #1 most important thing for a first impression to even begin to get someone to listen to you. If you get called a snowflake, you're not minding your lingo correctly. Here are some liberal words you should avoid.

Racist: AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Never ever call a conservative racist (even if they're totally being racist) if you're genuinely trying to make them listen to you. Because what's gonna happen is they're gonna say "I'm not racist" and now they're not gonna think anything else you say isn't valid because you said something about them that wasn't true in their eyes.

Homophobic/Transphobic/Xenophobic: Same thing that happens with "racist" is gonna happen here. They'll say "I'm not afraid of gay people!" and then not listen to anything else you're saying.

Triggered: #1 Most stereotypical "snowflake" word. Don't use it or they'll call you a snowflake. For example, I'm terrified of vomit. If I went to a party and saw some girl throwing up I could say "This is freaking me out, I'm gonna walk away for a bit" instead of the snowflakey version, "this is really triggering my phobia."

Problematic: Probably the #2 most stereotypical "snowflake" word. If you say "Well Donald Trump's wall is problematic because..." you're done. Your argument is done. Try something like "Donald Trump's wall is damaging to the United States because..."

Cultural Appropriation: I know it may be hard, but there are ways to talk about cultural appropriation without using the words "cultural appropriation."

Offensive: it's basically Triggered Jr.

2. People are important

Probably the final thing that really jolted me permanently out the conservative mindset was meeting a person who was transgender and becoming friends with him in high school. It caused me to truly rethink associating myself with the Republican party when they say all these horrible, insulting, invalidating things about transgender people even though they're just people who deserve respect and freedom.

Meeting someone kind and friendly from a particular group you are wary of can really change your perspective. For example, let's say your parents think that all Muslims are extremists and hijabs are oppressing women. If you are friends with someone who wears a hijab and is Muslim and invite her over for dinner, your parents may realize "Wow she likes art and watches gossip girl and is just like any other teenager." It could change their minds about Islam as a whole.

3. Mirror their values

Some conservative values (that don't conflict with liberal values) include:

Respect for our troops, patriotism, freedom, a good work ethic, job creation, strong families, and a strong economy.

Take government spending, for example. Republicans don't like it. They don't like higher taxes either. However they do like supporting the working class and supporting our troops, so you can mention government programs like the VA, which helps take care of veterans, and the ARC, which helps to rejuvenate Appalachia by creating jobs and improving education.

Congratulations! You've completed the crash course in how to talk to conservatives. Share this with your roommate who threw her iPhone across the room last week after screaming into it "MOM YOU DONT GET IT, MIKE PENCE IS LITERALLY A NAZI!"