Obligation Of Carry

Where's your gun?

This question was recently posed to me during an email conversation that I have been having with one of my L.E.O. friends.

I explained to him that I don't typically carry my weapon with me during the day because my office has a violence policy that prohibits employees from bringing firearms to work.

So did the guys working at Reliable Metals in Samson, AL. Said my friend. They are morning their friends now.

You have an obligation to those people you work with, he said. They don't know it yet, and hopefully they never will, but they are depending on you for their protection from guys like Michael McLendon.
Michael McLendon did not care about the law, or any company policies that were in place. He just wanted to kill people. By getting you concealed carry permit, you are saying that you are an upstanding citizen, willing to protect those around you. You, just like a L.E.O., are obligated to have your weapon on you, ready in the event of the unthinkable.

Do you flash your gun around? He asked.
No, I say, when I am carrying I do it in the most inconspicuous manner comfort allows.

I know you don't, because you still have a job and you have not been arrested for making terroristic threats, he said.
This is the essence of concealed carry. No cop I know is going to give you a hard time for carring in a place you should not be carring, unless you are being a dick about it.
You are a moderately smart guy who knows how to hide your weapon away from prying eyes. Violence policies are for lawyers and insurance people. You have a higher obligation. Laws don't protect people. People protect people. At the end of the day, somebody has to be ready and willing to take on the bad guy and make him put up or shut up. By having your permit, you are saying that person is me. With out your gun, you are just another victim. But you will carry that guilt around with you for the rest of your life, if you survive. It won't be the fault of the company that had the policy, it will be YOUR fault that those people died, children orphaned, and families torn apart.

Strong words. Very thought provoking. Do I have an obligation to carry?