Imagine a world where your right to enjoy a simple pleasure like casting a line into a serene Michigan lake could land you behind bars for nearly six months, slapped with nearly $3,000 in fines, and banned from the activity for seven years—all because the state decided your privileges were revocable at their whim. That’s the harsh reality that unfolded for Derek Dermyer, a 37-year-old from Washington Township in Macomb County, who just got hammered by a jury for the heinous crime of fishing on a revoked license. As a habitual offender with prior DNR violations, Dermyer’s sentence of 30-180 days in jail isn’t just punishment; it’s a stark reminder of how government bureaucracies wield revocations like a blunt instrument, turning minor infractions into life-altering ordeals.

Now, pivot this to the Second Amendment community: if Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources can treat a fishing license—essentially a state-granted permission slip—as something they can revoke indefinitely for repeat paperwork slip-ups, what’s stopping them from doing the same with your concealed pistol license (CPL) or FOID card? We’ve seen it happen with red flag laws, domestic disputes, or even unpaid traffic tickets snowballing into gun rights suspensions. Dermyer’s case isn’t about hooks and worms; it’s a canary in the coal mine for 2A advocates. Licensing schemes, whether for rods or rifles, create precarious privileges that bureaucrats can yank without due process, eroding the fundamental right to self-defense. Pro-2A warriors in Michigan should rally around constitutional carry expansions—like the hard-fought victories in states pushing permitless carry—to strip away these revocable permissions altogether.

The implications ripple outward: every overzealous enforcement like this emboldens anti-rights zealots to pile on more regulations, from annual renewals to arbitrary disqualifiers. Dermyer’s story demands we double down on defunding DNR overreach and litigating license revocations as de facto infringements. Share this far and wide, 2A fam—because if they can jail a fisherman for seven years over a revoked scrap of paper, your carry permit could be next. Stay vigilant, stay armed, and keep fighting the good fight.