For many years I have been interested in learning all about guns. Growing up I was not around guns per se but I have found myself on the wrong end of the barrel a couple of times. As I thought of homeownership and realized it may be, myself and my niece, I wanted to learn how to protect myself in case of an intruder. I also, wanted her to learn about guns and for her not to be afraid. I was invited to join a Facebook group one day, and a guy within the group was an instructor. This was my chance to actually take lessons.
He sent me great tools to use to start my lesson, and he also encouraged me to follow @trigger.happi on IG. He sang her praises, so I decided to do just that. @Trigger.happi was also coming out with a gun manual for ladies to teach them about gun safety, etc. I hopped right on the pre-ordered list; I had to get this manual that was catering to women. When I thought of women and guns, in my mind those women looked liked guys and were very masculine. Unfortunately, I had stereotyped these women to be man-hating women who had to find a hobby, to be one of the boys. Boy was I wrong, sorry ladies.
Marchelle Washington, the owner of Trigger Happy Firearm Instruction, is a beautiful woman, who doesn’t look threatening or manly. However, you can tell she is very comfortable around her guns. As I looked through the manual I can also conclude that this woman knew her stuff. She showed vulnerability by telling the story that changed her life and led her to want to be in control of her personal safety. Her story propelled her into her purpose as a firearms instructor.
A quote from the manual, “carrying and shooting firearms made me feel like I was in control of my safetyâ€. She does let her audience know in the instance of her rape, having the knowledge and being comfortable with a gun still would not have helped that night.
Marchelle now implements life-saving situational awareness skills within her day to day life and teaches other women these same measures. In her manual, she states that in 2017 she set a goal to teach one million women how to defend themselves with firearms. I think that is a great goal and her passion for teaching women and bringing it to our level, along with allowing us to be emotional is needed. It is especially important to me that as a woman I become very comfortable with a firearm, for my safety and for the safety of my family. It’s very rare that we hear a woman’s voice on something such as guns, so I reached out to Marchelle and she agreed to speak to me about guns.
In the wake of a double mass shooting, of course, I asked her about her thoughts on it. Many people feel guns are the issue but Marchelle disagrees. She feels it is not about the firearms at all. Although they are dangerous in the wrong hands, it has a lot to do with a person who doesn’t regard another person’s life.
I mentioned to her that daily I am seeing people say how they want to learn how to shoot, due to the mass shootings. It alarmed me, but she (Marchelle) believes that any able-body person who is willing to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually responsible should own and get educated about guns and gun safety. As she states, in the right hands they are perfect tools for self-defense in the right hands. This was a great point and I could not argue.
Being that Marchelle is an instructor, I can only imagine how many people walk up and randomly tell her that they are looking to get a license to carry. In that instance, I was curious to know what she would tell them. Marchelle states, that she would tell them that the responsibilities of owning a firearm are not just a one-time thing. They have to keep practicing. She explains that it has taken her seven years to become the good shooter and gun owner that she is today. A person must shoot several thousand rounds to become accurate.
It’s continuous learning and not a one-time thing. She wants people to learn beyond just the firearms, they must learn the psychological and spiritual aspects of being a gun owner. It is a huge responsibility for having the power to take someone’s life. She recommends a person going to a range twice a month if they are not willing to put in the work they should not bother becoming a gun owner. From listening to her speak, I understood that it was all about being responsible with what you would now have the ability to do, should an instance of self-defense arise. I could only respect it and totally agreed. If you won’t put in the work for anything, you should not be able to have it.
So is there an age at which one should learn more about gun safety? Marchelle recommends a child young as two- years old because she believes that kids are smarter than we give them credit to be. However, It is really up to their parents in those instances. A parent knows the capabilities of their child. If a parent feels their child knows the concept of right and wrong, life and death, they should learn gun firearm safety. She states all of the children in her family over the age of two-years-old know what firearms and have the knowledge.
With my awful stereotype type looming over my head, I told Marchelle what my mind thought a woman who loved guns looked like. I also told her that by looking through her manual, I was shown otherwise, because Marchelle has pictures throughout of her manual with her being her feminine self holding a firearm. It made her human to me, and I became even more comfortable learning about firearms.
I figured when she stepped into gun ranges, guys would not believe that she had the knowledge that she held, and she told me that every time she goes to a range where people are not familiar with her, men try to man-plain to her about firearms. She listens and nods her head. Mind you she is a better shot than they are, but they think it is beginner’s luck. That is when she lowers the boom and lets them know that she is a firearms instructor. I thought that was funny because men often think you don’t know what you are doing before they ask, but Marchelle actually likes those interactions and withholds that information on purpose if they don’t ask.
The former member of the Army National Guard likes being underestimated, but she also likes being in charge of her own safety and being a representative for other women out there. She believes that black women are more unlikely to use a firearm. Marchelle also feels a woman should be anything her heart desires, pretty, feminine or a wife and/or mom while using her firearm. I told her that I appreciated that because as a now feminine tomboy, I know I can be cute and shoot. She also opens the door to so many women to pick up a firearm and gain the knowledge.
So why a manual and why now were my next thoughts. The Savannah resident wanted to be able to reach those women who were not able to attend her classes because either they didn’t live in the area where she was teaching or they are not financially able to. In the meantime, they are able to have the manual to receive good information that they need to know presented in a way that they can understand. She feels a lot of women can relate to her story, though until the manual. she had never opened up about it. Marchelle wanted people to know, “I see me, you see me; we are one and the same.
“Women’s Pistol Handbook†was specially named due to the lack of instructional firearm manuals for women and more particularly black women. She saw a need and created a supply. In the words of the late Toni Morrison, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.†That is exactly what she did.
Marchelle travels to different cities conducting classes, and she will soon be in the Dallas area, August 24th. The difference between her class and a male-led class is Trigger Happy Firearm Instruction classes are a safe space. Being in a class with all women, you become a sisterhood at the end of the day. Instructor classes are all the same, no matter where you are, but Marchelle’s classes are a no-judgment zone. You can cry and hug as you share your stories. You may not feel comfortable doing that in a big strong man’s class. A woman may not be as vulnerable in a class full of guys. She may never open up as much, and Marchelle has been there and knows the feeling. So sometimes, this instructor may get together with her student(s) after class and discuss the things they were not able to discuss in the class. She wants it to be where someone can say, “Hey sis I got you†or “hey, no judgment, I don’t know what I am doing either.†I think that is special in this day and time. So many people feel they have to know everything already, so others won’t make fun of them. The fact that she wants it to be comfortable for women to be able to obtain all the knowledge they need and know they can tell one another we are learning together, says a lot about the woman that Marchelle is.
When asked about her favorite gun, she shared that her fav is a Glock (which I learned is the brand of a gun by the way), explaining that the Glock is the Honda of guns. They are affordable, and as she jokes, “You know you can drive your Honda Civic at least 108,000 miles and you gonna be alright.†That is how her Glock is, a great warranty on it, inexpensive, etc. It’s really what you like, but Marchelle likes her Glock.
How does Marchelle describe her swagher? She answered that she is the most super chill, laid back person ever, especially when it relates to guns. No one is ever warm when it comes to guns, either you are really hot or you are really cold. However, she is one of those rare people, if you don’t like it, cool. She will not try to convince you. She feels that is none of her business. She is not trying to sway anyone either way. People have come to her class and said they don’t want to buy one, and they don’t think people should have them, but Marchelle is like ‘alright whatever.’ She is not trying to convince someone to buy a gun. She often tells people in her classes that although they are in her class about firearms, this may be the last time they touch a gun. Mainly because they may realize that they are not emotionally, mentally or spiritually ready to own a gun. That is ok, there isn’t any pressure.
This instructor is not forceful. Some may post a dead body and tell people to see this is why they should come to their class, but she does not use those scare tactics. She has family and friends who have not come to her classes, and she is ok with that.
Again, Trigger Happy Firearm Instruction will be in Dallas, August 24th. She encourages everyone to pick up her handbook. Even if you are a gun owner it is good to have for situational awareness. If you feel you don’t need it, it is a good gift. I must agree with her, I have learned a lot from her handbook and for me, it has drawn a bigger interest in learning about firearms and it’s safety and safety in general. It’s good to have even if you are not a gun person. The handbook is $10 and can be purchased on blurb. The information an be found on her IG page @thfi_training and @trigger.happi.
The last thoughts she wanted to convey over to you the reader is that she loves her tribe, everyone has their way of doing things. She has never tried to hold people back. There doesn’t have to be only one black woman, there is no way she could do this all by herself.
-Arnya T.M. Davis
I’ve been in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex for 20 years from New Orleans. I am a creative mixed with nerd. I love helping push people to their goals.
