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The news media is often criticized for its level of coverage on significant news stories, either more or less than individual critics thought correct.
Not wishing to be accused of ignoring a major incident, and a member of the local media for decades, I hereby offer this particular story. Which may have happened as a big jetliner flew over our county.
‘Weird and gross’
A woman on a Delta Airlines flight from Syracuse, N.Y., down to Atlanta, was observed breastfeeding her pet cat during the trip last month. Crew and passengers were horrified.
The hairless cat, a species that naturally has no fur at all, had been removed from its carrier, and she refused to put it back when asked by the flight attendants.
“Her shirt was up and she was trying to get the cat to latch,” one of the flight attendants said. “The cat was yowling and screaming for its life … wrapped up in a blanket like a baby …”
Security officers reportedly met the flight when it landed in Atlanta, according to the attendant.
“Just to tell her that she couldn’t do that again,” she said. “Because it was weird and gross.”
Flying animals
Delta policy has always supported a woman’s right to breastfeed her infant on its aircraft or in its facilities on the ground. Breast pumps are also allowed on board.
Company policy also allows small animals supposedly needed for “emotional support,” whatever that means, to be transported along with owner on Delta planes.
Delta notes that such animals are to be contained in small carriers that fit under the passenger’s seat and are to remain in the carrier for the entire flight.
The airline said over the years its passengers have insisted emotional support animals included turkeys, ‘possums, dogs, cats, snakes, spiders, etc.
1970 local story
I came to Murphy over 50 years ago as young editor of the Cherokee Scout, local news media always looking for a good story, even in Clay County.
Today, Hayesville has a fine weekly newspaper, but in 1970 the Scout covered both counties, and I was directed to include as much Clay news as possible.
One summer, I began to get multiple reports of a news happening at Shooting Creek, at the foot of the Chunky Gal mountains, convenient and right beside U.S. 64.
In plain view every day a reddish-brown milk cow was openly nursing a rowdy gang of young pigs. All seemed to be enjoying it.
So I grabbed my 35mm camera and notepad and set off to get the story. Weekly papers routinely ran photos of smiling folks who grew a big tomato or potato or killed a large snake. It was a legitimate story.
Maybe the pigs had grown teeth or the cow had become shy. I found the action and jumped out to take the picture, but the cow fled with the piglets in half-hearted pursuit. Relationship obviously ended.
Friend has an app on his device tells exactly when any northbound flight leaves Atlanta’s airport. He says 10 minutes later you can see it flying high over us.
Same deal on southbound flights, we’re right on the airline traffic path, look at the con trails each evening.
Look up … see a silver plane miles above us … folks on board probably drinking coffee or breastfeeding their cats.
Wally Avett first wrote for the Cherokee Scout as editor in 1969. His books are available as signed copies at the Scout office in Murphy. Call him at 837-5531 or email wallyavett@gmail.com.