As to arguing the issue in today's terms, many, many are doing just that, including myself. Those arguements are rooted in the same philosophical grounding put forth by the founders but brought into modern times. Simply stated, it is clear from every demographic and serious study, that armed people are safer than those not armed, and that the attempts to try and undo any of that by tieing registration, control, etc. to the look and feel of a weapon are nothing more than facia for a failed arguemnt.
My point on this thread was simply that by adopting the opposition's tactics (which is exactly what you did) in framing your arguement, you further the misrepresentation. And that is, for the reasons I stated earlier, a very dangerous thing and should be opposed at all costs.
Uh Jeff, the oppositions tactics on the AWB is the prevailing political popularity. Your grass roots has to counter that and I think the GOA would be better served putting out news releases stating why the AWB is bad, instead of basically saying why the American population is ignorant because they don't know the Federalist papers verbatim, like the GOA members do.