"Don't Say Gay"

[Benjamin Barrett]

On Feb 16, 2012, at 8:30 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> On Feb 16, 2012, at 8:15 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
>> That's the name of the Tennessee bill that prohibits the discussion of
>> any gay issues in schools prior to 9th grade. But this is not why I am
>> forwarding this. John DeBerry (D-Memphis) made an argument in support of
>> the proposition:
>>
>>> The basic right as an American is my right to life, my right to
>>> liberty and my right to the pursuit of happiness. Within that includes
>>> being able to run my home, raise my children as I see fit and to
>>> indoctrinate them as I see fit.
>>
>> What got my attention was the beginning of the second sentence, "within
>> that includes..." that treats "within that" as a subject.
>>
>>    VS-)
>
> Interesting catch. And it sounds perfectly normal, evidence that grammar is a construction fabricated from patterns in speech.


BTW, this doesn't feel like "within that" is the subject.

To me, it feels like "within that" is preposed as a topic and "includes" somehow is "is included." I can't justify it, though.

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

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