TexasCHLforum.com

Throwing the burden of proof back on the people wanting to restrict your rights is a very good step. I use the same technique.

If you haven't read John Lott's book, 'More Guns Less Crime' I strongly encourage to do so.

Memorizing salient statistics from the FBI crime data is very valuable. If you begin asking your friends questions calmly, that they have to continually respond with 'I don't know', and then you provide them the answers, they may begin to realize they're not as informed as they should be. I do this without putting out the attitude that I'm 'winning', or trying to embarrass them with my questions - I just want to further the discussion. And every time they don't know the answer (eg, 'How many people were killed with blunt instruments in 2011?', I provide the information.

Instead of telling them 'more children drowned in 5 gal buckets last year than were killed by "assault rifles"', ask:

how many children drowned in swimming pools last year?
How many children drowned in 5 gallon buckets?
how many people died of smoking complications?
how many people died in car accidents?
how many people died from drunk drivers?
How many people were killed by ALL rifles (not just "assault" rifles)?

When they have to keep responding, 'I don't know', 'I don't know', 'I don't know' they may begin to realize they're spouting media talking points instead of making up their own mind based on data.