Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Who are the Militia? [View all]discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,479 posts)Of principle importance to consider are these two canons of textual statutory interpretation:
In pari materia ("upon the same matter or subject"
> When a statute is ambiguous, its meaning may be determined in light of other statutes on the same subject matter.
Noscitur a sociis ("a word is known by the company it keeps"
> When a word is ambiguous, its meaning may be determined by reference to the rest of the statute.
While the word "militia" within the 2A can be interpreted to mean either the organized or unorganized component, reading the 2A as a whole, the meaning of the word "militia" necessarily comports with the meaning of "the people". In addition, reading the 2A along with the other nine amendments, it is clear that they are intended to express individual rights and act as restrictions on government.