As a former federal agent, Falls native Brett Braaten used experiences from his 29-year career in writing a book that is intended to probe questions by the American people about government protection.
In the book, “Homeland Insecurity: Failed Poltiics, Policies, and a Nation at Risk,” Braaten opens a closed door of federal law enforcement bureaucracy to give outsiders a behind-the-scenes look into national security, sovereignty and the economy.
“I wrote (the book) for Americans,” Braaten said. “A lot of Americans are looking for answers.”
Braaten graduated from Falls High School in 1977. He said he worked as an inspector at the International Bridge for a few summers before completing his degree at the University of Minnesota.
After his college graduation, Braaten worked as a special agent in St. Louis, Mo., before traveling back to Minnesota to continue his career and eventually retire in 2009, while living in Duluth.
“After I retired, my wife and I settled in Georgia, right on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” he said. “It was this area that ultimately inspired me to write the book.”
Braaten said people living in Georgia have a different outlook of America than what he has experienced in his lifetime.
“There is such a spirit of America down here,” he said. “It is so revitalizing to the average person. People down here are red-blooded Americans who love freedom and resist the government.”
Having spent more than half of his life working for the government, Braaten said he was inspired to write a book about what “the rest of the country believes about the government.”
The author said he feels a lot of Americans are looking for – and are entitled to – answers concerning the current state of national security.
“Government agencies are not getting the job done,” Braaten said of the safety and security for Americans. “We have to look after our own because the government is not doing that.”
The book explores a number of topics including: the status of America’s security policies, the social and economic impact of illegal immigration, family preparedness and crisis response, the realities of U.S. trade and global competition and the relationship between government agencies.
“I’m reporting what happens that the Average Joe doesn’t know,” he said.
Braaten is passionate about his book and is hopeful that because of his extensive background, that readers will feel he is a reliable source to turn to with questions.
“I want people to trust me,” he said. “But this book has a lot of loose ends ... Only thing that can be accomplished from reading my book is for people to make a decision. I hope to motivate them to do their homework in order to really make up their own minds.”
