Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

The justifications for gun ownership presuppose that there is a need rather than a desire to have them. And this is where the NRA arguments fall apart. We are not in danger of a violent government takeover. We are not experiencing an American Carnage style uptick in violent crime – in fact the data show that violent crime has receded to 1960 levels and is still declining, and this trend is global. We already have a well-regulated militia in the form of the National Guard and the state and local police forces.

So, why don’t gun rights advocates just tell the truth: They want to own guns because it’s their hobby.

All guns should be regulated and treated like the risk they pose to public health. Their degree of lethality should be a fundamental factor in crafting legislation to regulate them. And they should be policed by the agency that enforces these regulations on similarly dangerous products and preferences: Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Drugs, and Explosives - otherwise known as the ATF.

The massive arming of our nation is a result of decades of marketing by the ~$32 billion firearms and ammunition manufacturing and sales industry. It’s just like the tobacco industry and uses the same lying sloganeering: "11,105 doctors say Lucky Strikes prevent throat irritation”; “Come to Marlboro Country”; and “I'd walk a mile for a Camel.”

Sound familiar? As Wayne LaPierre has said, “What do you call the frightened, paranoid, insecure guy having a midlife crisis who prepares for the inevitable breakdown of society and shakes his fist at the president? You call him a customer. He's money in the bank.”

For the NRA, it’s a sales pitch – nothing more. It's not about patriotism, rugged individualism, self-protection, protecting your family, or masculinity. Gun ownership is just a hobby that's grown into a major public health hazard.