Pay attention to the wording

I'm sure many of you have heard something to the effect that the Second Amendment is about the militia, or the National Guard, or some such inaccurate conclusion. The exact wording is:

<blockquote>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.</blockquote>

As you likely know, this is about "the right of the people" even though it is not the first word of the sentence. There are commas in use that we don't use in the 21st century. But the meaning is clear.

Now compare the style of the following law that has to do with schools and education:

<blockquote>“Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” (Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Art. 3, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/nworder.asp .) </blockquote>

This is from 1787, which is roughly the same time as the Second Amendment was penned. Do you see a pattern here? The law is written with a reason in mind, and clearly stated in front. But the law is the final part of the sentence that hangs in the air after being spoken.