Analysis 2: Family shattered after raid, home loss

       Reading the article Family Shattered after Raid, Home Loss, written by Mary Schmich was discomforting to say the least. The article profiles the outcome of a family, dealing with the loss of there home after police raided their home “out of the blue” in search of evidence of illegal drug production and animal fighting, of which no evidence of either was found in the home. The raid consisted of officers in masks busting in with rifles and smokes bombs. According to the article,
 
       Mr. Harris, standing in the middle of the house that he bought 41 years
       ago, that has lodged his large family through the neighborhood's
       gentrification, kept thinking: All you had to do was knock.

       Schmich continually makes it clear that the family was wrongly accused. She clearly state “No drugs. No guns. No dogfighting.” Although, she does not give her opinion in a straightforward way, the way she presents the facts makes shows that she does not feel that the family was treated fairly. Even the given title, Family shattered after raid, home loss, has leads this reader to believe a family is facing an undeserved tragedy.

       Inside A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism, the author, Tim Harrower, provides these tips on how to write an editorial:
Keep it tight.
Keep it relevant.
Take a stand.
Attack issues, not personalities.
Don't be a bully.
Control your anger.
Write a strong lead and a solid finish. (270)       Mary Schmich’s article is a prime example of how to utilize these tips. She keeps it tight and relevant. She is able to give the facts and make a story of it. She avoid extra fluff and gets to the point, while giving life and personality to the story. She infuses the articles with quotes and emotions of the people involved. Her stand on the issue is very clear, and she manages to control her anger and not be a bully.

       Harrower also tells his readers, "Base your opinions on facts - and present those facts. It's a delicate balancing act: If you leap to conclusions without providing facts to support them, readers will think you're just a raving loon. Yet if the facts crowd out your commentary, you're just rehashing old news."