Where did I say they could?
The point is that it's legal, causes death, and causes the deaths of people who don't smoke (second hand).
If we are all for banning things that take life (like guns)...why is cigarettes a "ridiculous" analogy? And why stop there? Sugar is also very bad.
because those are self inflicted deaths, and preventable. and in the last 15 years things have changed drastically on both fronts. warning labels, nutrition labels, calories being displayed on menus, designated smoking areas are the norm in any public place you go to, or there is no smoking at all. measures have been taken, but it is a free society and people will do things that are bad for their health.
But last time i checked eating candy doesn't kill a school full of children dead in a massacre. As a matter of fact i know in my kid's school they removed the vending machines that sold crap years ago.
you can argue till your blue in the face, it's apples and oranges. and who said anything about banning all firearms ? So far, the only action taken was NY drawing up a bill that limits magazine capacity, which is symbolic at best. I don't see anyone trying to ban gun ownership wholesale.."assault rifles" is the buzzword and the idiot politicians are all trying to further their careers with them.
What will happen is the gun industry will find loopholes (that the politicians are well aware of but do nothing about) . Selling aftermarket stocks and pistol grips that people put on themselves is the obvious one.
and it will be business as usual, but the idiot masses are satisfied because something was "done" about it