Stubob
09-08-2007, 10:36 AM
Good article on the 2nd ammendment - Take a moment and read.
Only one paragraph -
"True also, the awkward wording of the Second Amendment has confused a great many: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Some read the opening clause as restricting the scope of the rest of the sentence. But consider a similar sentence: "Because a well-fed army is necessary, the right of the people to grow and eat crops shall not be infringed." It would be silly to read that sentence as meaning only the army can grow and eat crops, or that all crops must be turned over to the army for consumption. ("Well-regulated" had a different meaning in Colonial times than it does in the modern regulatory era, but space here is short, so we'll get into that some other time.)
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/opinion/oped.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-09-07-0011.html
Only one paragraph -
"True also, the awkward wording of the Second Amendment has confused a great many: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Some read the opening clause as restricting the scope of the rest of the sentence. But consider a similar sentence: "Because a well-fed army is necessary, the right of the people to grow and eat crops shall not be infringed." It would be silly to read that sentence as meaning only the army can grow and eat crops, or that all crops must be turned over to the army for consumption. ("Well-regulated" had a different meaning in Colonial times than it does in the modern regulatory era, but space here is short, so we'll get into that some other time.)
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/opinion/oped.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-09-07-0011.html