FEATURED AUTHOR
KIT CESSNA

I grew up in northern Arizona in the 1960s. Along with the stunning western scenery came the beginning of a life-long belief in the concept of self-reliance and individual responsibility. There was not much of a social safety net in those days, and not too many people in that part of the nation would have thought to look for one. Upon graduating high school in the late 70s it was off to the Marine Corps to begin my long-awaited military career. The next six years included travel around the world, and I got to see some of the realities of life outside the United States. It was quickly obvious that the rest of the planet was much different than where I had come from.

After being honorably discharged from the Marines, I enlisted in the U.S. Army with the thought of continuing my career in special operations. Upon completing jump school I was assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington, and spent the next three years in that excellent organization. The Ranger Battalion was then, and no doubt still is, a no-nonsense, no-compromise, hard-corps infantry unit, and the lessons learned during that time were to benefit me for the rest of my career. In 1986, I applied to attend Delta Force selection and soon found myself on a plane to Camp Dawson, West Virginia. I did not know much about the organization other than it was supposed to be the best, and that’s where I wanted to be. Acceptance into the unit began the best five years of my military career.

Service in Delta provided a wide array of real world travel and training experiences. On one occasion, I served as part of the U.S. Ambassador’s protection detail in Bogotá, Colombia. Another trip was as a trainer to the Salvadoran counterterrorist unit during the height of that country’s civil war. Other assignments took me around the world as part of joint training exercises with the counterterrorism units of many nations, including the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (SAS). Then in 1989 came the invasion of Panama, in which my Delta squadron carried out a number of dangerous and vital operations, including the capture of General Manuel Noriega and many members of his infrastructure.

While in Delta I attended the Special Forces Qualification Course as a weapons sergeant, and, after completing my tour at Delta, I was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group in Fort Lewis, Washington. Newly married, I finished out my military career with 1st Group and retired in 1994.

Upon retirement, I began working as an instructor for the U.S. Department of State Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (ATAP). ATAP operates out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and provides antiterrorist training to police officers from other nations. Currently, I work for the ATAP program as well as Louisiana State University’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Program, which teaches law enforcement tactical units across the nation how to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive terrorist attacks. In 2002, I was appointed lead instructor for the Southern Anti-Terrorist Regional Training Academy (SARTA) Tactical Training curriculum. This is a state-level program that provides tactical training to U.S. police officers, much in the same way that ATAP provides training to foreign officers. Working on these programs brought me into close contact with some of the higher-ranking members of the local law enforcement organizations. Having always been interested in this profession, I asked for and received a commission with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office and began my part-time career as a cop. For about two years I served as both a uniformed patrol officer and a SWAT team member and learned many valuable lessons. Ascension Parish is just south of Baton Rouge, and it is where my family and I resided when we moved to Louisiana.

In 1998 my son was diagnosed with autism and that required us to move into Baton Rouge to be closer to doctors and therapy. I transferred my reserve commission to the Baton Rouge Police Department and served on the Special Response Team (SRT) as both a team member and trainer. In January of 2000 I was shot in the hand during a close quarter engagement with an armed suspect in a successful operation to free a juvenile hostage. As a result of this operation and the training that I provided, I was named Officer of the Year 2000 by the American Legion post in Baton Rouge. A year later an administrational restructuring within the department resulted in my status being changed from that of a reserve officer to that of a paid consultant; this is the position I hold today. However, I wanted to be directly involved in law enforcement in the post 9/11 world, so I requested and received a commission with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. It was with this organization’s SWAT team that I was part of the response to Hurricane Katrina covered in the last chapter of my book.

The idea for writing Equal or Greater Force came in 2002 when the city of Baton Rouge was being terrorized by a brutal serial killer. As the nightmare unfolded and victim after victim was discovered, the city became gripped by fear and anxiety. Law enforcement organizations in the area responded by organizing a series of safety seminars for women. As part of the curriculum I was asked to deliver a lecture on defensive mind-set. The lecture was well received, and many women stated that it was fundamental to their understanding of the reality of their situation. This response prompted me to expand that lecture into a book.

Q & A

Paladin: You have dedicated your book Equal or Greater Force to two groups of People: Medal of Honor recipients Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randy Shugart, who were both killed in action in Somalia in 1993 trying to rescue comrades trapped in a downed helicopter by a vicious mob; and the passengers of United Flight 93, who were hijacked on 9/11 and fought the hijackers until the plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The two sergeants already had the combat mind-set to volunteer to rescue their comrades, but it seems the passengers of Flight 93, who had less than one hour to plan and execute their attempt to retake the plane, had to develop the same fighting spirit. How do people develop the proper mind-set?
KC: Unfortunately, we know very little about the passengers of United Flight 93, other than they were incredibly brave and quite possibly saved us from even more tragedy on that day. Perhaps the individuals who organized the attack on the terrorists already possessed the necessary mind-set and reacted accordingly. Maybe they were able to convince others of the gravity of the situation and persuade them to help. They were to some degree aware of what was happening in New York, via cell phone conversations with their families, and evidently decided that direct action was the only option left. Exactly how the events that led to the crash unfolded is something that we can only guess at. How people develop the proper mind-set to deal with a threatening situation is one of the main topics in the book. The first step, in my opinion, is to place the proper value on your life and be ready to defend that life. Once that decision is made, the path becomes clearer. With that recognition of value, there develops a conviction that nobody has a right to deprive you of that life. Other steps will follow, but that is the main hurdle that must be crossed. Many of our citizens need to develop this basic attitude, and until they do they are victims in waiting.

Paladin: In your book you talk about how important it is to avoid trouble or, if possible, to leave when you sense that trouble may be imminent. What do you say to the people who tell you things like: “I live in a safe part of town,” or “I can call the police, and they will be here in a couple of minutes,” or “I’ve got a right to go wherever I please"?
KC: To those who think this way I would ask the simple question, “What is there about your neighborhood or part of town that makes you think that it’s so safe?” Violent crime is something that happens all over the country, and there is no indication that any given location is immune. Just because it hasn’t happened yet is no guarantee that it never will. I live in what can be considered a “safe” neighborhood, and I still keep my eyes open. Some places are better than others, but there is no such thing as totally safe ground.

As for calling the police, well, that is something that you should certainly do if you can. It is quite possible that a timely phone call to the responsible law enforcement agency will solve the problem. On the other hand, what if it doesn’t? What if there are simply no officers available or those who are cannot get there in time? What if they are busy taking care of a situation that is just as intense as yours? No police agency can provide direct protection for all the citizens in its jurisdiction no matter how well equipped and dedicated they are. The example that I like to use when I run into people with this attitude is that of a home fire extinguisher. Most people have at least one of these implements around the house despite the fact that the fire department is only a phone call away. People know that if a fire breaks out in their home, they may have to handle things for a while until the professionals get there. The police should be looked at in the same way. If you need them, call them, but you should be able to deal with things on your own for a time. On the third issue, yes, you do have a right to go wherever you want, and freedom of movement is one of the basic rights that we possess. On the other hand, there is nothing in the Constitution that guarantees that there will be no consequences for being in a bad location. You may have the right to be somewhere, but it could cost you dearly. This is an area in which common sense must prevail. Technically, you have every right to drive around a bad neighborhood or hang around in a situation that is deteriorating. Realistically, doing this could result in your ending up in a hospital or a morgue.

Paladin: As a police officer, you were in New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Among all the chaos and crime there, what did you see that supports the arguments you make in your book?
KC: I would give almost anything to be able to turn back the clock and have it so that Hurricane Katrina never happened. The totality of the destruction and human tragedy that followed is something that you would have to see to believe. So I take no pleasure in being right on a lot of these issues, and I would far rather have had my points proved in other ways. The reality is, though, that I have never felt so vindicated in my beliefs as I do now. Just about every point that I make in Equal or Greater Force was proven true in that unfortunate event. The main thing that happened was a complete breakdown in societal order and the almost complete paralysis of the system. Everything that the citizens of New Orleans had come to depend on, and took for granted, disappeared in the days that followed the levee breaks. Basic services were gone, and for many people there was nothing left. No shelter or food, no medical system, no security, and no visible future. This was Armageddon, and a lot of innocent people were ground up in it. The bottom line is this: those who had made some sort of preparation and had a survival mind-set fared a lot better than those who did not. More importantly, those who could and would defend themselves came out OK, for the most part. Those who could not (or would not) had some days of pure hell, and not all of them survived the event. Those who defended themselves and their families came through it alive; some of those who did not died. Some people helped themselves and were able to extract themselves from the situation. Many people just sat and waited for the government to rescue them, and that rescue was long in coming for a lot of them. That rescue never came for hundreds. The main lesson of Hurricane Katrina is that you must be able to take care of yourself and your family and to make whatever preparations necessary to do that. If you do not, you may find yourself in a situation where you wish that you had.

Paladin: In your book you draw examples from street crime, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and acts of terrorism. What changes would you make to our society to give individuals a better chance of surviving in those situations?
KC: I’m not sure that any effective change could be accomplished at that level. Two things that you cannot give a human being are self-esteem and mind-set. Real changes in outlook and attitude have to come from within, and they cannot be force-fed from the outside. What can be accomplished at that level is to bring the whole subject of self-defense and mind-set into focus and initiate widespread discussion of the issue. This would serve to clear away the many myths and fallacies that cling to this subject and allow for a clearer understanding on the part of the average citizen as to what they can and cannot do. A national focus on this issue would result in a barrage of news reports and interviews, and would be the subject of talk shows across the nation. This would raise awareness and might actually intimidate the criminal element to some degree.

Paladin: Much of the advice you offer in the book is to women. What are some of the most common mistakes women make that lead to their becoming victims of violent crime?
KC: The advice offered in the book is meant for everyone, but let’s be realistic and realize that women are disproportionately represented in the ranks of violent-crime victims. Terrorists seem to be equal opportunity killers, but the domestic criminal element targets far more women than men. Certainly, men can be victims, but more often than not when you pick up the paper and read about the latest outrage, it involves a woman. Females are thought of as easy marks by much of the criminal element, and some of that element will deliberately seek them out. Unfortunately, many women serve as unwitting accomplices in this issue, and it all has to do with mind-set and attitude. Of all the different demographics that make up our society, no segment is more unprepared to deal with a threatening encounter than the average college-educated female. Individuals aside, women in this category make excellent crime victims, and the criminal element is fully aware of this. In general, women in this country, especially the more sophisticated and educated ones, are dangerously ignorant of the realities of the world around them and are far too trusting of their environment. They can be easily manipulated verbally, and it is in their nature to seek excuses for the actions of others. These ladies are susceptible to television and Hollywood propaganda, and most of them have absorbed a lifetime of it. Not only are these women incapable of defending themselves against a violent attack, they cannot even logically discuss the possibility. Obviously I have no idea what it is like to be a woman, and I never will. So I can’t tell them how to change their attitude. I don’t have the key for the lock, so to speak. What I can tell them is this: Ladies, there are some bad folks out there, and nothing that you do will change that. If you are unfortunate enough to run into one of these folks, you had better be able to defend yourself and defend yourself competently. How you reach that point is up to you, but reading my book is not a bad place to start.

Paladin: Why has America become such a target for terrorists in the last few years?
KC: Well, America, its allies, and its interests have been the target of terrorism for centuries. We were not even 50 years old when Islamic extremists (Barbary Coast pirates) started seizing our ships and kidnapping our citizens. This resulted in the U.S. Navy taking a trip to the region and educating those folks as to American mind-set and resolve. This trip has had to be repeated occasionally, and the current situation is just a continuation of the process. Why do these people attack us? Well, mainly because they don’t like us, and they want to see us go away. Why do they attack us now? Sometime in the last couple of decades they developed the organization and capability to do so. Why don’t they like us? Because we are us, that’s why. There is a basic incompatibility between our cultures that will probably always be there. Theirs is based on complete submission to authority by the individual, and ours is based on freedom for the individual—and that is oil and water.

Paladin: Do you see the War on Terror as a long-term war, and should we view it as a struggle between national security and civil liberties?
KC: The War on Terror is the subject of my upcoming second book, and one of the main points that I make in that work is that everyone had better resign himself to the fact that this thing will not be over anytime soon. The Islamic extremists are not going to quit, folks—they can’t. In their mind if they cease the struggle, Western influence will overtake their culture and they will be finished. They will die before they see this happen, so we had all better get comfortable with the present conflict. Certainly there are going to be lulls in the action, and some of these periods may last for a few years. Sooner or later, though, the flame is going to reignite, and the game will be back on. The truth of the matter is this: we are far more capable of losing this war than they are of winning it. We have always been our own worst enemies, and we prove that on a daily basis. From a hostile media and entertainment industry that seeks to undermine our every effort to a population that is dangerously ignorant of history and their nation’s part in it—a population that is trying to pretend this war is not going on so they can go back to being preoccupied with silly and insignificant subjects. Picking up the morning paper and finding that the frontpage articles are about some television show or some ball game proves my point. As far as the balance between national security and civil liberties, well, that is always a tough one. Keep in mind, though, that this subject has raised its head before, and there have been periods of our history where our liberties were curtailed far more than they are likely to be in this conflict. During the Civil War Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, one of the cornerstones of our freedoms. After the war our rights were restored, and they always have been. Perhaps this is an area where a little faith in the future would not hurt. I don’t like the thought of any curtailment of our liberties, but I understand that there may be some in the future. Exactly what they will be will depend on the situation. Physical population controls are generally ineffective against terrorists, so I think that whatever happens will be more along the lines of information gathering, such as wiretapping. I do think that, if things get too bad, foreign nationals in this country could find their activities curtailed to a large degree. The current practice is that these folks are accorded the same liberties as an actual citizen, but I can see that changing.

Paladin: For much of our history, Americans were fully self-sufficient. Now, too few are. What happened and what can we as a nation—and as individuals—do about it?
KC: What happened is that we got wealthy as a nation and life got easy for the individual. In the past, most people were self-sufficient because there was not much of a choice in the matter. There were no guarantees, no safety net; therefore, folks either produced or went hungry. Today much of the system is set up to support nonproducers, and this is probably not going to change radically anytime soon. Too much political power in this nation is based on the concept of doling out the property of productive citizens to others. What will change it? Well, the War on Terror might or some more Hurricane Katrinas. The willingness of politicians to play the dole-out game is in direct proportion to their ability to play it. If the money is no longer there, the game is over. Things move slowly, but I see signs of coming change. There are far more challenges and questions being directed at the welfare-state concept now than at any other period in my lifetime. As far as the individual becoming more self sufficient, well, that is nothing more than a change in attitude and mind-set. If an individual wants to become more self reliant, he or she can.

Paladin: As a Louisiana resident, you witnessed Hurricane Katrina firsthand. What went wrong, and what went right?
KC: I don’t know that the overall situation could have gone “right” as we know the concept. It was so big it would have overwhelmed the system no matter where it happened. What went wrong was just about everything initially, and we have all been treated to endless discussion of the issue in the ensuing months. I don’t know that I could add much more to the discussion other than to say that there is a big misunderstanding out there when it comes to the role of the federal government in one of these disasters. These things are a local and state matter, for the most part, and that is the only way that they can be logically handled. I have yet to hear anyone come on my television and explain to me, in plain English, exactly what the federal government was supposed to have done, had they been there earlier. Actually, nobody has explained exactly how massive federal assets were supposed have gotten into New Orleans traveling against an evacuation of almost two million people fleeing three states. As far as what went right, well, there was plenty, and unfortunately our media doesn’t seem inclined to tell you about it, so I will. Most Americans will never know about the thousands of unsung heroes who saved the day in the aftermath of the storm. Everyone saw the obvious ones—the police, military, and other rescuers—but nobody saw many of those who were behind the scenes. Private relief organizations (many of them faith-based) stepped up to the plate, along with corporate America and thousands of ordinary citizens. Private agencies delivered help in the form of money, housing, and relocation assistance. All across the nation, people came forward and did more than their part. Entire families were relocated, and that move included houses, cars, schools, and jobs for the parents; all this from the private donations of ordinary citizens. Other people offered a different kind of help, and thousands of individuals traveled to the affected area to pitch in. Some came from as far away as California, and they did not arrive empty-handed. These folks either bought supplies themselves or they stopped along the way and drummed up donations. Many small convoys arrived buckling under the weight of food, water, and other necessities. Large companies, such as Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, PetSmart, and many others, set up housing outside the affected area for their employees. The evacuated people quickly found themselves with a place to live, schools, and a job working in the same type of store that they had left. None of these situations were perfect, and none of it replaced the life that these unfortunate people had lost. On the other hand, to recover the basics of life so quickly must have been a godsend. On that note, I have to single out Wal-Mart for some added praise. Were it not for its gift cards and its ability to transfer those documents all across the country, many more people would have been in trouble than already were. If you were stranded somewhere and you received a Wal-Mart card, then most of your problems were over. At that point you could get car repairs, gasoline, food, clothing, and medical prescriptions. Finding the bad in any given situation is an easy task to accomplish. Criticizing the actions of others in these circumstances requires very little in the way of ability. It requires no knowledge, courage, insight, or discipline. In a situation like Katrina everything will go wrong and that is just the way things are. If it happened tomorrow, there would be some small improvement, but it would still be a mess in the early stages. I prefer to focus on what went right, and there was plenty.

Paladin: The title of your book implies that you should always meet an attack with equal or greater force. What weapons do you recommend for doing that?
KC: My weapon of choice for average citizens looking to defend themselves from attack is a firearm. There are other options, but few of them are practical for the average individual. The obvious benefit to a gun is that it can put the intended victim on an equal footing with his or her attacker. The downside of a firearm is obvious, as the purchasing individual has responsibility for its proper storage and use. Possessing a gun is something that can potentially bring problems into your life, so it is not something that should be done on impulse. On the other hand, confronting a serial killer without the means to defend yourself is something that can also bring problems into your life. For those hesitant to possess a firearm, there are some other choices detailed in the book, along with the problems inherent with them.

Paladin: In addition to surviving an actual criminal or terrorist attack, you may also have to survive the aftermath. What advice do you offer to ordinary citizens who may find themselves in legal jeopardy because of an act of self-defense?
KC: There are two rules here, folks: get a lawyer and keep your mouth shut. The words “anything you say can and will be held against you” have real legal teeth, and you don’t want to be bitten, believe me. You cannot get into trouble for something you didn’t say. Running your mouth, on the other hand, can have bad consequences. Not saying anything is your constitutional right, so use it. Remember that the law is the law, and not your buddy. The law of the land was not created to guarantee that you will have no bad experiences with it. You can be totally in the right and still have the system go against you. Therefore, it would be a good idea to do a little personal research and find out about things beforehand. Paying a qualified lawyer for an hour to brief you on the law and self-defense issues is not a bad idea. Doing some Iinternet research on incidents that have happened in your area when it comes to self-defense will give you an idea of what the political landscape looks like. Gather information before an incident and use that information wisely. After an incident, keep your mouth shut and listen to your attorney.

Paladin: Do you think that the collective mind-set of Americans has improved in the aftermath of 9/11?
KC: Personally, I don’t believe in the existence of something like a “collective mind-set.” I think that most things happen on an individual level and the changes that we see are just that—change multiplied by the number of individuals involved. The mind-set of many Americans has improved after 2001. Many of our citizens are more aware of things that are going on in this world and our place in them. I would go as far as to say that the main problem is not with the mind-set of the average citizen; that can be changed with information and leadership. The problem is with the attitudes of many of those in the higher echelons of our society. I think that most ordinary Americans see the issue far more clearly than many who are in a position of power or popularity. Washington politicians and the Hollywood “elite” possess the “collective mind-set” that needs the most improvement.

EQUAL OR GREATER FORCE
A Delta Force Veteran Teaches You How to Survive Crime, Terrorism, Natural Disasters, and Other Calamities