Gunslingers ready to break the law?

Steve Walters, on the Journal Sentinel's State Capitol blog reports:

Zien sees potential for 'massive civil disobedience'

State Sen. Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire) says thousands of Wisconsin gun owners tired of being denied the right to defend themselves by carrying concealed weapons are on the verge of strapping on their weapons and openly defying an 1872 state law that makes that illegal.

Opening an 11-hour Capitol public hearing on his controversial concealed weapons law, Zien told lawmakers and TV news cameras that many of his fellow gun owners are thinking about "massive civil disobedience," which could "tie up our courts" by forcing judges and prosecutors to deal with thousands of violations of the concealed weapons ban.

But don't count Zien among those willing to tell police officers, "Yup, that's a gun. Write me up."

"We do not advocate massive civil disobedience," Zien added. "That's not why we're here."

Don't you love the language:

... gun owners tired of being denied the right to defend themselves by carrying concealed weapons ...

That's not a quote from Zien. Those are the reporter's words. The right to defend themselves? From what? When is the last time any of them needed a gun to defend him/herself?

Incidentally, the usual descriptive adjective that precedes the term "civil disobedience" is "non-violent," not "massive."

But when you strap on your pistol and dare someone to arrest you, maybe nonviolence is too much to expect.

[Zien, I am told, keeps a Sten submachine gun in his Capitol office as a conversation piece, but it is either disabled or will only fire blanks. We hope.]