In the land of deep-dish pizzas and Windy City charm, Chicago has been swept into chaos once more. Over the holiday weekend, the streets were taken over by a large gathering of rowdy teens. Evidently, the concept of a quiet weekend slipped their minds as they orchestrated an event filled with mayhem. At the height of it all, one ambitious teen, possibly lost in his own movie plot, decided that driving the wrong way down a street and hitting five officers with his car was his ticket to fame. Mayor Brandon Johnson, with an approach that’s as solid as a wet paper bag, took to social media, advising parents to keep an eye on their children. But in a twist that shocked perhaps no one, he declared that charging parents wasn’t the way forward. Because clearly, accountability is overrated.

While the new age approach of dealing with disorder seems to involve tweeting and hoping for the best, Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez has been fighting this battle on the ground. His frustration is palpable and with good reason. The mayor’s eloquence stops short of enacting any actual consequences, leaving the streets as wild as the Wild West. According to Lopez, the message these teens are getting is that law enforcement is more of a suggestion than a stand-alone authority. It’s as if “arrest” is a four-letter word in today’s progressive dictionary.

In another rosy vision of reality, Mayor Johnson continues to believe that policing should come with a gentle nudge rather than handcuffs. He calls for adults to step up to raise their children, a beautiful idea that would fit right into a Disney movie. But if only solving crime was as simple as giving a TED Talk. What’s missing is any real plan to strengthen family values or enforce rules that hold teens and their parents accountable. Meanwhile, while the mayor speaks of sunshine and rainbows, the numbers tell another story: law enforcement officers barely dodge bigger disasters every weekend, with community safety hanging by a thread.

Let’s pause to absorb the irony here. Despite buckets of money being funneled into anti-violence measures and so-called “safe summer” programs, the only thing rising faster than Chicago’s infamous skyscrapers seems to be the crime rate. This past weekend’s events were just another chapter in a saga of violence. Over two dozen people were shot during Memorial Day weekend alone. Meanwhile, families in Chicago are left watching the headlines and wondering when they became the setting of a real-life action series — without their consent, mind you.

Sadly, it appears we’re trapped in a loop of tough talk and soft actions. The leadership, or lack thereof, is failing miserably to protect the residents of Chicago. It’s time for voters to take off the blinders and stop accepting empty promises. Blame games and shifting accountability haven’t done the city any good. Instead, it is high time for the communities to speak up, demand real actions, and reclaim the spirit of a safe and vibrant Chicago. Otherwise, the next takeover might not just be a headline, but a new normal. And we all know that’s not the kind of fame anyone should aspire to.