U.S.A. — Back in February, I attended a Gun Law Seminar held by Gun Owners Action League. I was in the right seat at the right time! I was alongside 2 of The DC Project members, and behind me was The Gun Evangelist Nayara Andrejczyk. She saw my RSWC hoodie and asked who I was and what RSWC was. I said RSWC is Riding Shotgun With Charlie, and I am Charlie! She said she drove up from the Philly area just to come to this event. We became fast friends and started following each other on social media outlets. A week later, I was going to Tanner Sports Center in Jamison, PA, to interview Nayara. Then in April, she drove 4 hours to attend GOAL’s Concealed Carry Fashion Show & Expo and drove back that night. Gun people are the best people.
Nayara, NayNay, as her friends who can’t roll the R’s call her, was born in Brazil and moved to Worcester, MA, near some other relatives. I found out she was friends with one of my Brazilian friends (small world)! Nayara is also an American by choice! She did take a course as required in MA to get a License To Carry, but she didn’t apply for it with the local police. After years in central MA, life found her moving to Pennsylvania. She still wanted to get a permit and firearms, which was much easier in PA than in MA. And it only cost $20!
Once she started shooting, she was hooked. She came back to MA and found the Massachusetts Women Gun Owners, and they ended up connecting Nayara to Jim Wallace, GOAL’s Executive Director, which is why she has been coming up to MA for events. She also found out that many of her MA friends were closet gun owners, not letting their friends and neighbors know that they had the LTC and owned firearms. She has vowed to not hold back and let everyone know that she’s a proud gun owner, which is how she got the name The Gun Evangelist.
In the early 2000s, Brazil had a disarmament law that required everyone to register their firearms to help eliminate violence with a firearm. After a couple of years, the violence went up as the criminals were the only ones with firearms, and the citizens couldn’t protect themselves. Shocking this is happening again in Brazil, and we NEED to prevent it from happening in the United States. Nayara really explains what happened and how it happened there.
Like many gun owners who realize shooting is an expensive hobby and Right, she needed to find a way to support her shooting habit. She decided to apply for a position at Tanner’s Sports Center. She has thick skin, which is needed for a female gun store employee, and she joined the team at Tanner’s, where she has been working for several years. She knew that her knowledge and experience would be good, but she asked for help from their other staff if she needed it. It was also a good decision for Tanner’s as they could use a female staff member.
Training and competitive shooting are things that Nayara started really getting involved with. She took some NRA training courses with Todd Ellis (NRA BOD member & soon to be RSWC episode) and started expanding her knowledge base. As an employee of Tanner’s, they helped her get clients to take classes with her. She’s also made connections with A Girl & A Gun.
It’s wonderful to hear her story about becoming an American and a firearm owner and hearing how things have grown and progressed for her. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say and share with us. Later this month, she and I are both taking the USCCA instructor course, and I’m looking forward to spending time training and learning with her.
Favorite quotes:
- “I believe the Second Amendment is the second for a reason, in order of importance for the American citizen.”
- “My soul is American.”
- “I found what was missing in my life. This is it. I love, absolutely LOVE shooting!”
- “I will never be a closet gun owner.”
- “I am committed not to hide who I am and what I like.”
About Riding Shotgun With Charlie
Riding Shotgun With Charlie isn’t about firearms. It is about having an intimate conversation with 2 people talking. You’re the fly on the rearview mirror. Many of the passengers are involved in the firearm community.
This is a more intimate conversation than a phone, radio, or Skype interview. You get to see the passengers. And you’ll see where the road and the conversation take you!
