What does the comma in the Second Amendment mean?

While the D.C. Circuit Court focused only on the second comma, the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution actually has three: “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.” The 2–1 majority of judges held that the meaning …

How does the interpretation of a comma in the Constitution lead to two different interpretations of the 2nd Amendment?

“According to the court, the second comma divides the amendment into two clauses: one ‘prefatory’ and the other ‘operative. Regardless of the grammatical volleying, the Supreme Court upheld the D.C. court’s decision in 2008, invalidating the gun law. The high court invoked the same grammar logic as the appeals court.

What is a prefatory clause?

The Second Amendment is naturally divided into two parts: its prefatory clause (“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State”) and its operative clause (“the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”).

Is the 2nd Amendment grammatically correct?

The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, Nelson Lund, in an amicus brief supporting Heller, argues that the amendment’s preamble has no force because it’s an absolute phrase, and “such constructions are grammatically independent of the rest of the sentence” (Lund, at 7).

Is there an inconsistent comma in the Constitution?

It probably should be the lack of 2 commas surrounding “for public use.” In official versions of the constitution, the Takings Clause reads: “nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.” No commas in the original.

When was 2nd amendment ratified?

1791
Passed by Congress in September 1789 and ratified in 1791, the Second Amendment was proposed in a political setting markedly different from that of the modern US.

Why is the Second Amendment written so poorly?

The reason the amendment is poorly phrased could be because it went through a number of revisions in the House of Representative and then more in the Senate before it was sent to the states for ratification.

What Supreme Court case incorporated the Second Amendment?

McDonald v. City of Chicago
City of Chicago, case in which on June 28, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5–4) that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,” applies to state and local governments as well as to the federal government.

Does the Constitution have a typo?

In the 17th Amendment, Not a Typo, But an Error free. While this may be true when the Constitution is being interpreted by the courts, a different standard is appropriate in a text to be used by citizens and students.

Are there any semicolons in the Constitution?

The amended Constitution of 1790 removed all semicolons and replaced them with commas, with no apparent rhyme or reason.

Can the Second Amendment be infringed?

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “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.” Such language has created considerable debate regarding the Amendment’s intended scope.

Which is correct a comma splice or a fused sentence?

TWO MAJOR ERRORS: COMMA SPLICESAND FUSED SENTENCES Compound sentences are correct onlywhen constructed as shown in the previous four sections. This section discusses two major errorscommitted with compound sentences: X the comma splice and X the fused sentence

When did Margaret Benner write Comma splices and fused sentences?

Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Self-Teaching Unit: Comma Splices and Fused Sentences © 2006, 1999, 1978 Margaret L. Benner All rights reserved. REVIEW

What does the second comma mean in the 2nd Amendment?

Before the Supreme Court heard the case, the D.C. circuit court of appeals nixed the ban, too. “According to the court, the second comma divides the amendment into two clauses: one ‘prefatory’ and the other ‘operative.’ On this reading, the bit about a well-regulated militia is just preliminary throat…

Which is not an independent clause in a comma splice?

It contains a subject(Tom), a verb(saw), and a complete thought. However, look at the following clause: Because this group of words contains a subject-verbcore(friend-read), it is aclause. However, because it does not express a complete thought, it is NOT an independent clause.