[TaePo]

AWKX,

I am now thinking that if the AND were in the subject and not part of the preposition, we could parse it as you did.

In other words, if it said, " The right of the citizens AND the State to bear arms in defense of themselves shall not be questioned."; could be parsed as:

The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves shall not be questioned and the right of the State to bear arms in defense of itself shall not be questioned.

The above is just an example, I do not wish the State to claim any such right.

The basic statement is...

The right shall not be questioned.

Whose right?
The right of the citizens.

Which right of the citizens?
To bear arms.

What type of bearing arms do you mean?
Bearing arms in defense of themselves and the State.

It would be much better if it were "The right of the citizens to bear arms shall not be questioned."

Very similar to the 2A of the COTUS.

Is the State holding or reserving power over the manner of bearing arms that the Federal government did not?