Isomorphic language - 2nd Amd.

Z

Zak Smith

New member
I just heard this quote on The O'Reilly factor, and I went and looked it up for myself:

"Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. "

James Madison, The Northwest Ordinance (1787), Art. 3, http://www.jmu.edu/madison/northwestterra.htm

I couldn't help but notice how parallel the language is in this quote to our own favorite amendment of the constitution:

"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."

Interesting, eh?

-z
 
They don't track.

Religion, morality, and knowledge are
concepts of thought while a well regulated
militia is a body of people.

Here's one: Government schools being
necessary to the security
of an incumbent administration,
the right of the chirrin' to
a taxpayer supported educashun
shall not be dissed.




[This message has been edited by Sport (edited August 30, 2000).]
 
Gee Sport, thanks for the encouragement. One can't please everyone, I guess.

"A, being necessary to B, C shall [not] be D."

Since people are always arguing about how to parse the 2nd amd, I thought that this similar sentence might help people in their debates since it was uttered in the same era.

It is clear to me that "A, being necessary to B" is a justification for the independent statement "C shall [not] be D."

-z
 
My work sent a bunch of us to "grammar" training (the type of stuff we learned and then forgot, in 7th grade). They did some complex sentences with dependent and independent clauses. They looked a lot like the 2A.

During the break I wrote up the 2A and presented it to her to analyze (just like in the book "Stopping Power"). She looked at it and said, that the second part (the right of the people) was in no way dependent on the first part (a well-regulated Militia). I was rather pleased and began to walk away. Then she stopped me. She said, "You know, the first part isn't really a clause at all since "A well-regulated Militia being necessary for the security of a free State" is not a complete thought. To be a dependent or independent clause in a complex sentence it has to be composed of two complete thoughts. The first section, then, has no meaning without the second section."

As I walked away she said to me, "That Jefferson really knew how to write, didn't he?"

I looked back and corrected, "Madison...James Madison wrote the Second Amendment."

I paid great attention for the rest of the day.

Rick

------------------
"Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American." Tench Coxe 2/20/1788
 
Try this one on for size:

"A well-educated electorate, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and read books shall not be infringed."

It's constructed exactly the same as 2A. Ask an anti if this could be interpreted to mean that only those with a certainl level of education can "keep and read books," or if it means that all people can keep and read books so that they can become well educated.

------------------
Shoot straight & make big holes, regards, Richard at The Shottist's Center
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 45King:
Try this one on for size:

"A well-educated electorate, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and read books shall not be infringed."...........

[/quote]


That should have been in the Constitution in an old movie, where all books are banned.


------------------
Dead [Black Ops]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top