A fetish can be sexually symbolic but more often a fetish is a power object. Essentially a fetish is a symbol containing certain powers, in the case of the 2nd Amendment, the power is the right to own firearms, which are a fetish in themselves to many gun fetishists. Guns are a useful tool for killing things. That appreciation bypasses fetishism, but Bret Stephens is right - a lot of gun owners put a lot of energy into the fetish aspect.