Edmund Burke is credited with the following theme:  evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

World War Two-era German pastor Martin Niemoller drafted versions of this famous poem about misguided pacifism:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me.

When Good Men Do Nothing.

John Boehner says, “We Can Beat This Bill.” Mike Pence says, “This fight ain’t over yet.”

Your efforts today may greatly decrease the likelihood that ObamaCare will become law.  I do not consider it to be too late to make a positive difference on behalf of freedom.

The following five national/international businesses are influential in local politics all around America, and, unacceptably, they refuse to oppose this anti-liberty legislation: the Nazarene Church (Mid-America Nazarene University), Garmin International, Sprint, Zurich North America, and Midland Loan Services (PNC Real Estate).

Each of those five businesses has a leading employee on the board of one of two large local chambers of commerce in Kansas — the Olathe Chamber and the Overland Park Chamber — and neither chamber is willing to take a position on ObamaCare.  The US Chamber and the Kansas Chamber (state-wide) both oppose the Democratic legislation.

Any one or two of those corporations — again, the Nazarene Church (Mid-America Nazarene University), Garmin International, Sprint, Zurich North America, and Midland Loan Services (PNC Real Estate) – could force a vote on the matter, but they are intentionally doing nothing.  One wonders in how many other cities this is also the case, particularly in areas that are represented by vulnerable Democratic congressmen and congresswomen.

At this moment, these major corporations could be providing needed support on behalf of the small businesses who are fighting against ObamaCare.  Instead, they are intentionally choosing to remain on the sidelines, where it appears safe.

The thing is, nobody ”doesn’t have an opinion” on this damaging, far-reaching legislation.  These companies have an opinion, but they refuse to make their opinion known.  They are more interested in “playing it safe” in the short-term and in being liked by the local liberal elite class, than in representing the interests of Americans during a time when their leadership is needed in order to stop this anti-business legislation.

Kansas’ Third Congressional District has been held for a decade by liberal “Blue Dog” Democrat Dennis Moore.  Instrumental in electing and re-electing Dennis Moore have been liberal leaders within the Olathe the Overland Park Chambers.  While their current inaction is not surprising, it is nonetheless unacceptable.

The Olathe Chamber’s current chairman is Kevin Gilmore, a vice president at Mid-America Nazarene.  In 2008, Gilmore joined Senator Sam Brownback in going against Kansans for Life and endorsed an unknown District Attorney candidate, who within six months of being a first-time elected official proved to be corrupt.  Oddly, the Olathe Chamber is honored by the US Chamber as being ranked among the top 1% of all local chambers of commerce.  Laurie Minard of Garmin International sits on the chamber’s executive board.  It’s chair-elect is an executive at Bank of Blue Valley, which was Kansas City’s first bailout recipient, and whose CEO is Bob Regnier, a local support of the ACLU-like “Mainstream Coalition.”

The Overland Park Chamber’s leadership includes:

• Steve Smith of Midland Loan (PNC Real Estate).
• Terry McAfferty of Zurich North America.
• Jaime Jones of Sprint, whose world-wide campus sits in Overland Park.
• Three flagrantly-law-breaking higher education officials: KU’s Bob Clark (with a current second-amendment violation on his campus), and JCCC’s Terry Calaway and Jerry Cook (current open meetings violation on their campus; separately, a no-bid contract given in bad faith to the law firm of the Kansas Democratic Party chairman).

I encourage you to contact these business groups, and ask them why they support ObamaCare, through their intentional inaction.  Tell them to start supporting the interests of their customers and of all businesses, small and large.

• The Nazarene Church (Mid-America Nazarene University).  Ask for President Ed Robinson’s office.
• Garmin International
• Sprint
• Zurich North America
• Midland Loan Services (PNC Real Estate)
• The Overland Park Chamber
• The Olathe Chamber
• The US Chamber of Commerce, which supported Louisiana’s Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu in 2008, and which supports the regular anti-business decisions made by the Olathe and Overland Park Chambers of Commerce.

At this moment, the language of the legislation is being drafted behind closed doors by very liberal Democrats, whose values do not represent mainstream America.  To get majority votes on the final legislation, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will need every possibly vote of less-liberal congressional Democrats, many of whom are vulnerable as they run for re-election in 2010.  We know that Pelosi is on record as stating that it’s OK with her that House Democrats will lose seats, but we also know that, individually, Democratic congressmen don’t share her “take it for the team” mentality.

There is no evidence to suggest that ObamaCare will improve our nation or provide a net improvement to health care.  Meanwhile, there is ample evidence to suggest that the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda will damage health care, will hurt the economy, and will intentionally and unnecessarily lead to a government-run monopoly.

On top of that, there are the various offensive elements of the legislation, such as the mandated abortion funding in the Senate bill, and the exclusive exemption for the Amish, and possibly Christian Scientists.

This is not health “reform.”  Some headlines read “health overhaul,” and that is closer to the truth.

This legislation can still be defeated, but freedom-loving Americans must continue to work diligently.

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Connect with Benjamin Hodge at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, The Kansas Progress, and LibertyLinked. Hodge is President of the State and Local Reform Group of Kansas.  He served as one of seven at-large trustees at Johnson County Community College from 2005-’09, a member of the Kansas House from 2007-’08, a delegate to the Kansas Republican Party from 2009-’10, and was founder of the Overland Park Republican Party in 2011.  His public policy record is recognized by Americans for Prosperity, the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, the Kansas Press Association, the Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government, the NRA, Kansans for Life, and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).