I'm later than usual in posting because it's been a busy day. So, without further ado:

1) No, Virginia, Nazi Germany did NOT take away people's guns. Actually, Weimar Germany did, acting under the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler's 1938 gun law (modestly) liberalized gun ownership in Germany.

2) Why does it seem like there are more school shootings now then back in the Goode Olde Dayes? High school dropout rates. Basically, the high-school dropout rate in the US in 1960 was over 27%. Now it's down to 8%. Basically, in the Goode Olde Dayes, the kind of kid who'd shoot up the school wasn't in school to shoot it up. I'm not saying that's good or bad, just that it is.

3) On a related note, The Usual Suspects are arguing that the "War on Men" is causing an upsurge of school violence. I'm not sure when it was ever okay in American schools to fight, argue and not pay attention, but apparently the "increasing dominance of females in elementary education" caused this problem. (Guess who told me that.) Well, no - elementary and secondary ed has been female-dominated since the 1880s.

4) Here's an interesting article that suggests leaded gasoline led to both the spike of crimes in the 1960s through the 1980s and the subsequent decline in same. Passed on without comment.