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[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

The entire sentence is the amendment, not little phrases of the sentence. The context of the phrase you mention is the law, not the phrase itself. This is a very old argument with NRA activists. For James Madison and others, the context of the law - the full sentence - is the REASON for that law. If one could take phrases of laws out of their legal contexts on a regular basis, there would be very few effective laws. Moreover, it the amendment ware merely - "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" - then that's exactly what the amendment would state. The rest of the sentence would not be required. Absolutely no one wants vigilante justice, unless they're unaware of how that could backfire and get themselves killed.

[–]jet199 5 insightful - 3 fun5 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

But you interpretation isn't the one that is in the law all around the USA.

Americans do indeed legally have the right to bear arms in every state.

So while you had have your opinion on it you and the people who agree with you have lost the argument time and time again.

In mean if you want to know how the constitution was meant to be applied just look how fun laws worked when it was written, they were actually much freer and unregulated back then and not just confined to militia. Surely the very generation who wrote and enacted the constitution knew what it meant better than us.

[–]StillLessons 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

The entire sentence is the amendment, not little phrases of the sentence.

You make a very interesting point. I've never heard it put this way before, and it does matter. The debate about guns in the hands of citizens is as old as the country itself; the founding fathers disagreed on this as we do. Thus probably the entire sentence represents a way to keep the debate alive. The founders recognized the debate is a valuable one, and came up with a phrasing that gives each side enough to be able to keep them coming to the table. I've never thought of what you say here before. Thanks.