OK, I'm biased...
Who embodies the essence of Second Amendment values through word and deed?
I believe the "essence" would require several qualifications:
Number one is to be a "True Believer" in every way - politically, philosophically, personally, even spiritually...
* Strong belief in liberty and the right of every individual to possess the firearms of their choice - including "assault weapons" and machineguns.
* An appreciation of firearms and a personal commitment to exercising those rights and pursuing that passion.
* An outspoken and effective advocate for those rights.
* Placing the cause above personal gain and not worrying about who gets the credit.
D.C. Court of Appeals Senior Judge Laurence H. Silberman made a solid legal decision based on the facts presented and the clear history of the Second Amendment, but he by no means "embodies the essence of Second Amendment values."
Alan M. Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation is a good friend of mine and has done more for the gun rights movement than most people will ever know, but he is very much a political animal, not a gun enthusiast.
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre has done some good things for NRA, but he barely knew which end the bullet came out when my dad hired him as a lobbyist. Wayne isn't a gunny and makes way too much money off of the movement to be considered an ideologue (about one million dollars per year). He's much too willing to compromise principles and if he doesn't get the credit, he won't support it. (Yes I have a chip on my shoulder where Wayne is concerned, but that he earned.)
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is a solid supporter of Second Amendment rights and enjoys plinking a bit, but he has never been a serious leader for gun rights in Congress and he could have been much more effective if he'd wanted to.
I don't really know Gura and Levy, but I like what I've seen. They were willing to buck the establishment and push for what's right in their own minds. Besides the Parker case though, have they been involved in the fight? Are they shooters? I wouldn't knock them, but I can't give them my vote.
VCDL President Philip Van Cleave is a wonderful example of a committed Second Amendment "True Believer"; he works tirelessly for the cause, carries a gun and enjoys shooting, he sometimes trips over his own convictions, but he wouldn't be the success that he is if he didn't, and, as far as I've been able to ascertain, he's not feathering his own nest with activists' dollars.
On this list, Philip would have to be my choice.
Like others here though, I would submit a write-in vote for someone else whom I think truly personified the essence of the Second Amendment and that was Neal Knox.
Neal was a national champion shooter and an award winner in multiple shooting disciplines. He was the Founding Editor of "Gun Week" newspaper and "Rifle" magazine as well as being the Editor and Publisher of "Rifle" and "Handloader." He was a court certified firearms expert and a skilled "kitchen table" gunsmith. He got active in the Second Amendment fight in his early twenties for pure philosophical reasons and that clear philosophy led him to orchestrate the "Revolt at Cincinnati" where members wrested control of NRA away from misguided leaders. He went on to lead NRA-ILA into its prime; declared war on GCA'68 and BATF and moved NRA to the offensive with the McClure-Volkmer "Firearms Owners' Protection Act." He got fired for not going along with "friendly" politicians, was elected to the Board of Directors and was kicked off of the Board for testifying against a watered-down version of McClure-Volkmer. He was reelected to the Board and became First Vice-President, in line for the Presidency the next year, but got into an argument with Wayne about how members' money was being spent and lost that fight. There were several times over the years that Neal could have sued NRA and probably have won millions, but he felt that would have hurt the cause so he didn't do it. One of Neal's last acts while cancer was rapidly eating away his life was to dictate a letter to the gun rights community thanking them for allowing him to work for them and encouraging them to be steadfast in continuing the fight.
In all of his years as a gun writer and activist, Executive Director of NRA-ILA, Chairman of The Firearms Coalition, and Vice-President of NRA, Neal never made more than about seventy thousand dollars a year from his gun rights activities (making a good portion of his income from shrewed real estate and other investments).
So, as a person who grew up in the middle of the gun fight, and someone who knows and has known most of the prominent players in that fight over the past 40 years or so, I would say that the one person who best embodied the essence of Second Amendment values through word and deed was hands down my father - Neal Knox
Yes I'm biased, but I'm also right.
Jeff