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Before one starts rocking the boat you should at least make an informed and thoughtful decision on whether it is important enough to you to risk your continued employment.

I have a friend who posts online under the screen name "Tweed Ring" who is very active in behind-the-scenes politics and who is now retired after 30+ years in HR. He compiled a bit of whimsy entitled "Tweed's Rules for Employment." It's a tongue-in-cheek list of things to avoid in the workplace. The issue in large organizations is once the topic of firearms is raised, there is intense pressure on HR to "do something". That "something" often turns out to be a negative event for the employee in question as well as all firearm supporters in that workplace.

Tweed's Rules for Employment are as follows:

1. I do not own a gun, and I shall never talk to my co-workers about guns.
2. I do not want to own a gun and I shall never talk to my co-workers about guns.
3. I don't want to talk to anyone who owns a gun, and I shall never talk to my co-workers about guns.
4. If someone is talking about guns, I shall walk away, and I shall never talk to my co-workers about guns.
5. My hobbies are very interesting and entertaining, but, I shall never talk to my co-workers about guns.
6. The hobbies of my significant other, (if any) and children (if any) are very interesting and entertaining and I shall never talk to my co-workers about guns.

Now, there are employees in this world who have the benefit of working under a labor agreement or an iron-clad signed employment contract. There are also employees who work in a small business for their father, or their brother-in-law, or their best friend. Such employees may have the freedom to poke this particular beehive with a stick without encountering adverse results.

For the rest of us, Texas has the concept called "employment at will". Now, I can respect someone's choices on either side of this equation. If a person needs their job to support their family and is unwilling to risk everything on the issue of firearms in the workplace, I certainly understand. If a different person feels strongly about their rights to carry firearms, feels confident in their ability to earn a living, and wants to go to the mat on this issue, they have my blessings and support as well.

However, we should all at least evaluate the options with knowledge of the risks involved so that we are making such an important choice as an informed decision.