[Mulder]

I consider myself very lucky that I wasn't met by someone who presumed I was there for the purpose of "doing great bodily harm" and felt he had the right to shoot first and ask questions later. Mistakes do happen.

Yes, you should consider yourself very lucky. You were really stupid to walk into a house that you weren't 100% sure belonged to your brother.

You were also lucky the dog didn't tear you to shreds.

Entering in ANY house without express verbal permission, only after being met first at the door by the resident, isn't something I would even consider doing. Especially at night.

If someone trespassed in my house, they'd have found themselves lying spread eagle on the ground with a rifle aimed at them, waiting for the cops to arrive. *If* their story checked out, and *if* they seemed like a decent person, and *if* I wasn't in a bad mood, I'd consider not filing trespass charges.

And that's only because I don't have kids. Folks with children to protect would likely handle the situation more aggressively, as they should.

[HostileTerritory]

You were also lucky the dog didn't tear you to shreds.

Westies don't tend to do too much damage. Not everyone who buys a dog does so for self-defense.

I'm all for our legislators discussing people's preferences before passing laws. If a majority of them agree with your point of view on what people should expect, that's what the law will be.

In the meantime, I wouldn't say I was "very lucky"--the culture at the Jersey Shore being what it is, there really are very few people in my brother's town who would have been inclined to blow my brains out. It's noteworthy that the door was unlocked in the first place, it's that kind of community.

But crime rates in New Jersey and Massachusetts are extremely low by comparison to other states, so I don't begrudge other people their concerns. I fully support the RKBA, not that my opinion matters anyway when it's written in the Constitution, but I think that people of good sense can disagree as to what is the appropriate justification for blowing a stranger's brains out. Cheers.