The issue of the death penalty has always been my favorite topic for any assignment or debate. I've read several articles on the topic, but this one provided a lot of information that I wasn't aware of. I appreciated the way Von Drehle analyzed the issues surrounding the American death penalty. Before reading this article, I had never thought of using judges as a reason to abolish the system. It was interesting to read the opinions of different judges and how easily they can change. Whenever the topic of the death penalty was mentioned, I was always the person arguing or writing against it. This article has strengthened my opinions and beliefs on the abolition of death