Posted by
Bill of Rights on Sunday, December 23, 2007 9:48:54 PM
OK, show of hands: How many of you remember diagramming sentences in grade school?
Hey, hey, settle down, it was just a question on the screen, c'mon!
Annnnd how many of you hated it and didn't know WHEN you were EVER going to use it? 2, 3, 4..... ok, it's unanimous.
Well.... here's where:
http://www.geocities.com/gene_moutoux/diagramamend2.htm My friend Diana found this picture-you can go to the page to read the explanation given, or you can read my attempt to explain it, below.
The dependent clause, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State" cannot stand on it's own and while it may support the independent clause, does not constitute a sentence in and of itself.
"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"
"of the people" and each of "to keep arms" and "to bear arms" are all prepositional phrases; explanatory of whose right and which right is being referenced.
Thus distilled, we are left with "the right shall not be infringed." as the basic sentence, all the rest telling who, what, and why, but not changing the basic fact. The right shall not be infringed.
(Interestingly, the clause referencing the necessity of a militia is no more grammatically related to the clause regarding the right not to be infringed than membership in such a militia is to the RKBA.)
Anyone want to expand on the unenumerated right below?
"A well-educated Citizenry, being necessary to the growth of a free Nation, the right of the people to keep and read Books, shall not be infringed."
By the way, for the curious, Mrs. Germer was my 4th grade teacher, from whom I learned diagramming. Long ago, I took back all the names I called her that year.