Imagine reeling in a big one on a quiet Michigan lake, only to have the game warden slap cuffs on you for lacking a scrap of paper—while armed felons roam free. That’s the absurd reality for Derek Allen Dermyer, a 37-year-old from Washington Township, who just got slapped with 30 to 180 days in the slammer in St. Clair County’s 72nd District Court for fishing without a license. This isn’t his first rodeo; the guy has a rap sheet of wildlife violations, and now his fishing privileges are revoked like he’s some kingpin. But let’s be real: in a state where regulators treat a rod and reel like contraband, this story screams government overreach, the kind that makes you wonder why the same zeal isn’t applied to actual threats.
Tie this to the 2A world, and the parallels are glaring. Michigan’s fishing license regime mirrors the patchwork of concealed carry permits—bureaucratic hoops that law-abiding folks jump through, only to get hammered for a paperwork slip-up, while real criminals ignore the rules entirely. Dermyer’s jail time for angling sans permit? It’s a preview of how anti-gun zealots want to treat firearm ownership: treat it like a privilege revocable on a whim, with violators facing disproportionate punishment. Remember Michigan’s recent battles over constitutional carry? Lawmakers there are inching toward permitless carry, but stories like this fuel the fire—proving regulators prioritize minnows over armed intruders. If the state can jail a man for fishing without asking permission, what’s stopping them from expanding red flag laws to snag your AR-15 for a forgotten renewal?
The implications for gun owners are crystal clear: this is mission creep in action. What starts as fining fishermen ends with door-kicking raids on rifle owners. 2A advocates, take note—rally around these petty tyrannies, because today’s fishing license is tomorrow’s suppressor stamp. Michigan sportsmen and shooters need to link arms; after all, the Second Amendment protects more than just lead—it safeguards the freedom to pursue life, liberty, and that perfect cast without Big Brother’s hall pass. Wake up, America: if they can jail you for a hook, they’ll cage you for a holster.
