As we write this, the votes on the village advisory referendum have not been counted. We don’t know who “won” or who “lost.” Whatever numbers come out of this referendum vote, the one clear loser is Oak Park.
When a municipal ballot takes on one of the most complex and violent conflicts in the world, that conflict gets boiled down to campaign slogans. People across Oak Park, on every side, were left feeling hurt and unseen. Neighbors were shocked that people they had known for years “were on the other side.” Friendships were strained and perhaps irrevocably broken. This was an inevitable outcome. And the exact reason many of us fought to keep this off the ballot in the first place.
On paper, the question asked whether Illinois should repeal a state pension investment law with minimal impact. In practice, it asked neighbors to pick sides. We reject the idea that a Yes vote was antisemitic. We equally reject the idea that a No vote meant “supporting genocide.” Neither label fits the people we know in this village.
We also know that many Oak Parkers skipped this question entirely. Some rejected a binary choice that seemed to ask them to stand with one set of neighbors against another. Some weren’t sure what the question meant or simply didn’t have an opinion. Those choices deserve respect too.
The leadership of Oak Parkers for Free Speech said time and again that their goal was to send a message to our state legislators. What message was that exactly? That Oak Park stands with one side or the other? We reject that notion entirely. This is a complicated topic with a lot of very personal emotions attached to it. For us, we ask our legislators to proceed with the thoughtfulness and nuance on this issue that the last six months has lacked.
The fallout from this referendum will last a long time. Many Oak Parkers experienced a great deal of pain these last few weeks. In the near term, we will be engaging with neighbors on all sides. We hope to build the real relationships and have the honest conversation that this referendum campaign lacked.
Oak Park Neighbors United
Steering Committee
