The private ownership of guns (weapons if you hold to a gun is a cannon) designed for waging war, not hunting Bambi et al.  
The increase in this type of weaponry seems to mirror the political power of the NRA.

Again, let me be clear as Mn seems to have an issue, I am not pro or anti gun, just pointing out that we have a well armed population and perhaps that might boil over into shooting of politicians rather than school children.  Hopefully not as that might render voting useless - and that would mean we wouldn't have those so informational debates and multi million dollar campaigns - money that could probably fund universal health care for all of us - if someone wanted to spend money well.

And, the "hopefully not" above does NOT MEAN I prefer the shooting of children rather than politicians - that might well be a definition of insanity.