‘Hitler’ at the Hippodrome
Readers from Baltimore and across the country condemn a man who raised a Nazi salute at the theater — and the police response
Not free speech
As The Sun reported (“Drunk man shouts 'Heil Hitler, Heil Trump,' does Nazi salute during Baltimore performance of 'Fiddler on the Roof,' ” Nov. 16), a man terrorized Hippodrome Theater patrons who feared that their lives were in danger when the miscreant yelled, “Heil Hitler! Heil Trump!” Of course, the audience was thinking about the mass murder of Jewish congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
The threat provided by one Anthony M. Derlunas earned him no more than a “stop ticket,” “the least severe measure police can take when responding to a complaint,” the article states, which means that this dangerous man will receive no penalty whatsoever going forward. Asked why the police response was so limited, Baltimore Police Department spokesman Matt Jablow claimed, “As reprehensible as the man’s words were, they are considered protected speech/free speech because nobody was directly threatened.”
Contrary to Mr. Jablow’s implication, his benign interpretation is arbitrary and irresponsible. Mr. Derlunas should have been charged with disturbing the public peace and disorderly conduct pursuant to Section10-201of Maryland’s criminal code. This provision specifically includes a theater as a protected “public place.” The law prohibits acting in a “disorderly manner that disturbs the public peace,” including by “making an unreasonably loud noise.”
Weakly providing no punishment encourages repeat criminality and worse. form of monitoring (“Hippodrome incident was not free speech,” Nov. 16).
I hope many people will write to and/or call the Baltimore police department. I have visited — and love — Baltimore. Far away in Texas, several years ago, my aunt and I were in the audience for a screening of the film “Schindler's List.” The credits were rolling, accompanied by the beautiful, soulful music. A man stood up and began ranting about Jews and guns and the Nazis and the government. Then he stormed out, shouting all the way to the exit door. One cannot separate the memory of such an act from the experience of seeing a moving performance that is, itself, a cautionary tale from the time of pogroms or the Holocaust.
Failure to even comment on the part of the person at the top sends an ominous signal — one that could be interpreted as tolerance for a disruptive and terrifying act, or — at best — as an indicator of a dismissive attitude. What happened was not the fault of the theater staff or the company. How about a simple expression of humane sorrow over what one man forced on all in his earshot — not even considering the context of these terrible times?