1. At least he didn't have to wait for the damn smokes to kill him!

2. Now, in Illinois...It's total stress and fighting ALL THE TIME!

1. Art, I'm not sure you "got it". He asked his wife to "run over" (cross the street) to get the Camels, and when she refused, he "ran over" himself.

2. Well, I live in Illinois too, and I think you're misplacing the blame. Most doctors will tell you, if they are honest, that's it's not the government but rather the insurance companies that are the problem. They charge excessive premiums and then, in cases of catastrophic illnesses or injuries, put all of their resources behind refusing to pay, leaving their clients destitute. That is outrageous! In nearly every other developed country in the world, health care is a right and taken for granted.

In Germany, where I live part of each year, I was recently hospitalized for three days with blood pressure issues. The medical care there is second to none, arguably the best in Europe.

The bottom line, semi-private room, meals, medications, all of the various tests and procedures, doctors' fees, etc. - everything - wanna guess how much? Less than $1500 US dollars. Anybody know what that would have cost here?

The US medical system needs to be SCRAPPED and replaced with something that works. So I agree with you except that, as I said, you are putting the blame on the wrong side of the fence.