Crystal Lee Sutton, died on September 11, 2009 in Burlington North Carolina  from brain cancer.   In the early 1970s, Sutton was fired from her job after trying to organize a union at the JP Stevens plant in North Carolina. Her final act at the plant was writing the word "UNION" on a piece of cardboard, standing up on her work table and holding the sign up, while her co-workers turned off their machines in solidarity.  She was then physically removed from the plant by police.  Sutton was the inspiration for the title character in the 1979 movie, Norma Rae, played by Sally Field. Sutton was denied possible life-saving medication for two months because her insurance company would not pay for it.  Eventually, the insurance company agreed to pay for the medication but by then, the cancer had taken its toll on her. She told the Burlington Times-News that the insurance company's action was an example of abuse of the working poor.  According to the Times-News, Sutton said:

How in the world can it take so long to find out [whether they would cover the medicine or not] when it could be a matter of life or death.  It is almost like, in a way, committing murder.

But hey, don't let a government bureaucrat get between my doctor and I.  Better to have insurance company bean counters get between my doctor and I.  They have such a good record.  Oh, and those government death panels?  I would rather continue with the insurance company death panels.  They are so effective.