Part I: Deroy Murdock; Part II: Paul Craig Roberts

The authors of the following two-part viewpoint contend that the U.S. government’s system of racial classification should be abandoned. In part I, cable news commentator Deroy Murdock argues that racial classifications are harmful because they place group identity over individual rights. People should be esteemed for their unique character and abilities, not for their pigmentation, Murdock writes. In part II, columnist Paul Craig Roberts charges that racial categories reflect the interests of political groups who wish to promote unfair preferences based on race and ethnicity. In the end, Roberts maintains, such categories undermine America’s melting-pot ideals.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Murdock, how did the Suffolk County Police Department attempt to correct its shortage of black and Hispanic...