If you carry a concealed firearm, there will be times during the day when you may enter buildings and go places where having a firearm is not the best choice.
Carrying is even flat-out illegal inside federal buildings, courthouses, or schools. Not being able to carry can become inconvenient if it happens regularly since it means you have to leave your weapon in your vehicle or even at home.
Time and again, you hear the mantra to carry your firearm at all times when legal. This is good advice for the vast majority of cases, but as author Michael S. Black points out in his article “Sharp and Semi-Automatic” on USConcealedcarry.com, sometimes there are exceptions:
“Being employed in a position where you work on public school grounds is one circumstance where, unless you are the official armed security guard, you would very likely be viewed with distrust by some if it were ever revealed that you carried a firearm, even with legal concealed weapon licensure.” (Read more at USConcealedCarry.com)
Deciding when and where to go armed is an exercise in using good judgment. The first rule of concealed carry is for the weapon to remain concealed. It’s supposed to be a secret for a reason. If there is a possibility you may be unmasked by a metal detector or even something like a hot room where you have to take off the jacket that conceals your weapon, the best choice in most circumstances would be to leave the gun behind so it isn’t visible.
Like it or not, firearms have a tremendous amount of opinion and emotion surrounding them. In the current state of our society, a total stranger in a public place who catches a glimpse of your holster peeking out from under a coat is likely to call the police.
Have you done anything wrong? Probably not, but it’s almost certain that the police will find and talk to you. The interaction may be completely benign, but it would have been better if it never happens to begin with.
Civilians who carry firearms for personal protection are ambassadors for the right to carry concealed. The movement as a whole is judged by more than just the people participating in said movement.
As you see continuously, any group as a whole is judged by the few bad actors it may contain. You need to do your part to project a positive, responsible, and unassuming image to the public. The continuation of your rights is at stake.