op-ed column

Analysis op-ed Column
Our column is on a neighborhood dispute by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune. This is a terrible thing that happened to a family. The family was stacked up against odds, they had no control of. The editorial piece is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to property that the city/government wants. There is not much we can do in the situations such as this one. Cities and government hold all the power and if they want something they will take it without considering the family or families that it affects in the process.
Tim Harrower’s principles are the following: keep it tight, keep it relevant, take a stand, attack the issues not personalities, don’t be a bully, control your anger, and write a strong lead and a solid finish. Keep it tights means do not stray for the topic get to the point and stay on point throughout the article you are writing. I think, Schmich did a good job on staying on topic, she did not stray too far from main point of the article. Keep it relevant to the readers. The more relevant a topic is to the readers the more likelihood of them reading it. Schmich does this, because this could happen to anyone at anytime, anywhere in the world. Take a stand on a topic is pretty much common sense. I liked how Schmich did not give her opinion on the subject until the very end of the article and when she did it was brief and to the point. Schmich gave the opinions of the Harris family and that of the police officers. She supported each side with facts to let the reader decide for themselves which side to take. Schmich attacked the issues at hand without attacking the Harris family or police officers. She presented the facts of both parties involved and did not personal attack anyone in the article. When it comes to don’t be a bully, Schmich lets the audience decide by persuasion. I think she did a great job in this department because, with the facts on both sides, anyone can be swayed against or for the Harris. She plays subtle mind games with the audience. The facts on both sides can persuade the audience a certain way. Controlling your anger is the most important one in my opinion. If cannot be biased when writing an editorial. You have to present the facts correctly without getting steamed about one side or the other. Schmich does a great job with this. She only shows the slightest bit of anger when she says at the end that it shouldn’t have happened this way. You can feel her pain for the Harris family in her writing. Writing a strong lead and finish is the key to any piece. The audience has to be pulled in quickly and feel emotions towards the specific article. If not, the audience will not finish reading the article because it does not interest them. Schmich uses the word “BAM” affectively in getting the audience’s attention; also she gives great back ground information on the subjects. She tells a great story in the first couple paragraphs to keep the reader’s wanting more and more. The finish of Schmich article is her opinion. She gives the reactions of the Harris family to the given situation and then she gives her own reactions to the situation. I liked how she kept the suspense of her opinion until the very end of the article.
I believe Don Murray would be impressed with this particular article. It had a since of grace and balance throughout out the article. Schmich goes by the book and hits every point of principle by Harrower’s stand point. She has a great lead and a fantastic finish. I think that this particular piece is that of craftsmanship thought out and precise.
My overall evolution of the piece is a well-constructed editorial piece. It hits the main points and gives the audience a chance to reply to the article or have an opinion about it. She makes it easy for the audience to see that it is an opinion piece. I actually enjoyed reading this article and kept reading because of the she constructed the editorial.