What about an open, public invitation to your local candidates to come to your local firing range for some shooting exercises? When they arrive they could be shown all of the licensing requirements, safety and operating procedures that responsible firearms owners follow in order to keep the sport safe for everyone. Invite the press too; that way the candidates will be more likely to show up, plus the extra coverage will show the public how it is a safe fun sport. It might wake them up to the realization that we are responsible citizens who just happen to own guns and there is a definite difference between us and the gangbangers who give all gun owners a bad name by their reckless irresponsible actions.
I am new to the sport myself and checked out a couple of shooting ranges before I joined one. I must have talked to a dozen people and not one was rude, condescending or even used bad language. Everyone politely answered all of my newbie questions thoroughly and all put an emphasis on safety. One fine man invited me as a guest to come to the local range with my brand new M 14s. He came fully prepared for the afternoon. At the range he explained all of the operating and safety procedures to me, introduced me to the range officer, went over my M 14s with me (I had read a lot about it here on Gunnutz, and field stripped it myself, but had never fired a gun before) and test fired it as well to sight it in- it was already within 3 inches @100 yards. We then spent a couple of hours shooting targets and it was fun!

Afterwards he showed me how he properly cleaned his M 14s and then walked me through the steps as I cleaned mine. (I came away thinking that this is not a sport for the non-dedicated as it requires patience, timing, fitness and discipline. It is part art, science and craft, and it is not cheap either.) I was so impressed by his knowledge, professionalism and generosity that I joined the range the next week and tomorrow I go for my official orientation course.
I am convinced that the greatest assets to fight these peddlers of ignorance and fear are our own members. Our semi-autos are no more of a threat than a traditional "Hunting" rifle such as the Remington model 7400 chambered in .308 Winchester, 30-06, etc.
It is malice of forethought, acted upon, that makes any object (gun, knife, hammer,a piece of rope, etc.) a deadly weapon, not the object itself. It's about time these anti-gun people understood that. So it doesn't matter if you're using a bolt,pump,or semi-auto action gun- you still have to pull the trigger to send a bullet on it's way to its target. It is the shooter's responsibility to ensure the target is safe and legal to shoot; anyone who does not, not only gives all of us a bad reputation, but should not have a gun.
I don't know how to put it better, maybe someone else could.
Respectfully submitted.
