Cook County election results showed a clear lean toward an Oak Park referendum that seeks to repeal the 2nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution in the village, leaving Congress to regulate the licensing and use of arms.
As of 11 p.m., with 37 of 37 precincts counted, 64.13 percent of the vote was in favor of the referendum, while 35.87 percent lagged behind with “no” votes.
A total 28,306 people voted on the referendum.
Piergiorgio “George” Uslenghi, the man behind the question, told the Chicago Tribune he backs the referendum due to safety concerns for his family and students at UIC. He’s a migrant from Italy and left his home country in 1961.
"I became very concerned over the last few years at the rate of murders that have been going on because of handguns and firearms," Uslenghi told the Tribune. "The original intent of the Second Amendment was really to protect ourselves from tyranny. That was 200 years ago. No civilized nation allows citizens to carry loaded pistols in their pockets."
Uslenghi had to collect 15 signatures of registered Oak Park voters to the county clerk to get his referendum on the ballot. He said that, more than anything, he noticed skepticism, not criticism, when collecting signatures.
"The only criticism I've gotten is that it may take 200 years to change," Uslenghi said. "But remember, a big sequoia tree starts from the smallest seed. Oak Park is a very enlightened community, and I think it is a reasonable place to start this civilized conversation about limiting the use of firearms."
Continue to check Patch as we update our election results.
