A blessing in defense. (Exercising the Right).

At around 10 p.m. on July 3 1st, Terry Alston and his family returned to their home in Duncan, North Carolina, after attending a barbecue at the home of Mrs. Alston's mother.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., Mr. Alston and the couple's two children, a daughter, 12, and a son, 16, were in the living room (Mrs. Alston had gone to bed) when there was a knock at the front door. Assuming that it was his wife's sister, Mr. Alston opened the door, but instead of his sister-in-law, there were two male strangers who told him that their car had broken down. They asked if they could use a phone.

Alston could not see a car, so asked where it was. They told him it was farther up the road. They also claimed that they had stopped at two other homes, but that no one had answered. Mr. Alston was puzzled, since, as he told the next day's Dunn Daily Record, "My neighbors around here normally, if someone knocks on their door and asks them for help, they don't hesitate to help."

After Alston handed one of the strangers a cordless phone, the man dialed a number, but claimed that there was no answer. Alston decided to offer them a ride home, but when he asked where they lived, one blurted "Raleigh" as the other said "Sanford."

The homeowner, now seriously concerned about the situation, told the two to wait while he put on his shoes. After shutting and locking the door, he fetched his .38-caliber revolver. When he returned, the men said they were through with the phone, but when Alston cracked the door to retrieve the device, one of the men tried to push the door open while other pulled a gun.

Alston, ...