The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, has sided with time-honored American values of merit and equal protection. The high-profile case, Ricci v. Destefano, involved New Haven firefighters who, after earning high scores on a promotion exam, saw the city throw out the results because of the color of their skin. Because only whites and Hispanics (and no blacks) scored high enough on the test to be promoted, the city opted for the politically correct route and refused to certify the results. While New Haven’s efforts to promote more diversity in its fire department were admirable, good intentions do not excuse the city’s blatantly race-based decision.