On guns in the workplace - my personal experience

Now it could be said that I have a lot of bad habits. But one GOOD habit I’ve managed to cultivate is that I regularly carry my pistol. I carry everywhere, and all the time. The first thing I do in the morning is put on my pistol, and the last thing I do at night is take if off and lay it on my night table. I had some things happen in my life that I needed to have a weapon, and I made the decision that I would never be caught without one. The only places I won’t go without a firearm are places with metal detectors, and if I can avoid those places – I do.

A little over six years ago I landed my dream job. I plan to remain there until I retire, or they run me off. Unfortunately they have a written policy against guns in the workplace. Hmmm….what to do. I went to each of the two partners whose company it is, and I laid my CWP down in front of them and asked “Is this okay with you?” My thought was that the policy was really only for liability purposes in today’s litigious business climate. Well I got the nod from both men, and I carried in the office just like I would anywhere else.

Now roll the clock forward about 4 years. Ours is a shirt & tie workplace and I’ve settled on an ankle holster as my workplace carry rig. Every Monday morning, as regularly as the sun rises, we have a manager’s meeting in a big conference room. The room is arranged with the tables in a circular pattern that will seat about 15 people. The unintentional effect of this table arrangement allows the gents across from you to see your feet and legs.

On one particular morning after the meeting was concluded the junior partner approaches me as I’m getting my coffee. The conversation goes like this:

Boss: “Umm …Have you been in some trouble or something? Is there something you want to tell me?”

Me: “No… nothing to tell Chief. What are you talking about?”

Boss: “Well when I was in the meeting I noticed something on your leg. What is that?”

[The light suddenly dawned: he thought it was a court-issued monitor anklet!]

Me: “That’s a pistol”

Boss: “WHAT!”

Me: “Yeah it’s a pistol – a .40 pistol, are you gonna have a problem with that?”

I made up my mind right then and there that I was not going to back up and compromise my principals, even for the sake of my dream job. Let’s see where this goes says I.

Boss: “Umm, well, umm, uhhh, well….I guess um …I guess if I ever um, ever have to fire you I’ll do it by …um, phone or email. No…there’s no problem. But why do feel it necessary to carry a gun? What are you scared of?”

Me: “First of all, I carry cause it’s my God-given right to do so! Secondly, I’m not scared of a damn thing BECAUSE I carry.”

I then went on to relate to him the incidents that I alluded to earlier in this post. (I’ll save those for a future blog entry) I also emphasized that only someone who intended to do me harm had anything to fear from me, and that in fact the office and its staff are far safer by having an armed “me” around! He reluctantly agreed with both of those points.

The bottom line is: I will NOT be disarmed!

Stayed tuned boys and girls and I’ll soon post the story of WHY I carry religiously. You’re gonna enjoy it I’m sure.