Enough flowery speeches, Mr. Mayor-elect. It's time to move on to governing

It's summertime, and the living is queasy

- Clarence Page

That's the best I can say for the continuing sense of foreboding and possible catastrophe that remains in the wake of Chicago's recent mayoral election. And please let me also say this: 

Congratulations, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson. Now it's time to stop campaigning and get to governing.

I say this in response to his weak, ill-inspired response to the mayhem some goons, hoodlums, and other troublemakers brought to the esteemed streets of Chicago this past weekend.

I'm responding to the mayor-elect's comments after two incidents made very unwanted headlines last weekend in Chicago.

Several large groups of young adults and juveniles swarmed parts of Chicago on Friday and Saturday nights. As a video posted online later revealed, a large meet-up of teens Friday night near 31st Street Beach led to the shooting of a 14-year-old boy.

In a shooting downtown on Saturday night, two teens were wounded. The swarming, violence, and destruction resulted in 16 related arrests and, ultimately, new rounds of hand-wringing similar to what we endured in the speeches and debates during the recent mayoral campaign.

I thought everyone, particularly the new African American mayor-elect, would agree that crime and education were the premier issues and that we need a no-nonsense effort to strengthen both.