redundant. The basic principle. here is-that if a-civic body has enacted laws, each element of the <br />law is presumed to have purpose. <br />This is known as "The Rule to Avoid Surplbsage" (i.e. avoiding the interpretation'of some part's <br />of a statute as redundant or irrelevant), <br />Thus, in United States Y. Menasche, 348 U 528, 538-39 (1955), the Majority of the - <br />Supreme Court of the United States (hereafter referred to as "S'COTUS") invalidated the U.S. <br />Government's attempt to limit the applicability, of a subsection of law governing citizenship. <br />In its decision, the Majority of SCOTUS. synthesizes components of t4vo earlier decisions; <br />explaining its reasoning: <br />"The Government's contention that 5 405 (a) does: not apply to <br />any phase in the processing of naturalization petitions would <br />defeat and destroy the plain meaning of that section. "The <br />cardinal principle of statutory construction is to save and not to <br />destroy." Labor Board V. Jones Loughlin Steel Corp. 301 U. S, <br />1.. 30, It is our duty' to give effect, if possible., to every clause <br />and word of a statuteMontclair v.Rainsdell., 10.7 U: S. 147, <br />1.52, rather than to emascu[ate an entire section, as the <br />Government's interpretation requires." <br />The SCOTUS Majority's language has thereafter been taken to apply generally to govern <br />interpretation of statutory law. Thus, in Gustafson v. Alloyd. Co., 513 U .S. 5.61, 577-78 (1995), <br />'the Majority of SCOTUS affirmed: <br />"...two rather sensible rules of statutory construction. First,- <br />the Court will avoid a reading which renders some words <br />altogether redundant. See United States v. Menasche, 348 U.S. <br />528, 538-39 {1955). If "communication" included. every written <br />communication, it would render "notice, circular, advertisement, <br />[and] letter" redundant, since ea,,ch of th-ese are forms of written <br />communication as well. Congress with ease could have drafted' <br />52(10) to read: "The term 'prospectus" Means any communication, <br />written-or by radio or television, that offers a security for sale <br />or confirm the sale of a s&ecurity." Congress did not write the. <br />statute. that way, however, and we decline to say i:t. included <br />the words "notice circular, advertiseme.nfi and letter" for- n <br />purpose.- <br />Argument <br />252 <br />