Always express your rights as calmly as possible
This is very important. It impacts our credibility and how we are perceived as much as anything else. If there's one thing more frightening to an anti-gunner than a gun owner it's an angry one.
You can get a lot further with someone with whom you have differences, if you can respectfully acknowledge any good motives behind their views, even if you detest their idea of how to address those concerns.
One thing we tend to forget, is that both sides of the gun rights issue have one huge thing in common, we both revere and wish to protect innocent life. Starting with that as common ground, any discussion has a better chance of improving understanding, and that mutual respect can reap huge dividends.
Sometimes, no meaningful discussion is possible no matter what, usually because there is no attempt by one or both parties to truly understand the other persons viewpoint. Understanding their viewpoint is not the same as agreeing with it.
This, in no way, means we don't draw a line in the sand when push comes to shove on our intrinsic right to self-preservation.
dm1333, I don't understand your objection to this topic being placed in the proper forum. Folks interested in a subject like this would look for it here, and AFAIK no member in good standing is prevented from viewing here, and I think posting. (this is an open forum now, yes?)
Also, pro-active moderation on this site serves an important purpose related to the point I'm making here. That is, the discussion is kept above a certain minimum level of respectability, and civility, so that when fence sitters drop in on us, we are not perceived as a bunch of trigger happy yahoos.
Your idea is a good one, and worth pondering. It does have some difficulties in implementing it in the current political climate, though. I'm interested in what others have to say about it.