Denouncements were the modus operandi of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. I watched a documentary which reported the contents of recently uncovered Nazi-era documents from East Germany. Among the revelations: there were only a handful (12 I think) of Gestapo agents in all of Bavaria (southern Germany). These 12 agents supposedly terrorized the population, forcing them to live in fear that if the said or did the wrong thing they would be taken away. How could only 12 agents inspire so much fear? The answer: they did not investigate claims made by one citizen against another. They only acted. Whenever a citizen wrote a letter of denouncement accusing another citizen, the Gestapo would appear and take them away.

U.S. law enforcement agencies have gone back and forth on the subject of racial profiling. They usually say they won't practice profiling. But the Georgia woman who spied on neighboring customers at a restaraunt has been praised for her "alertness." To her they were suspicious because they were brown people -- Muslims of Middle Eastern decent. Agencies are hoping more people follow this woman's lead. So it appears the method of denouncements is to become a preferred method of American law enforcement. Enter the new Gestapo, called Homeland Security.