Rahm Requirements

Recently, failed Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed certain requirements that public school students would have to meet in order to receive a high school diploma. Students would have to show a college acceptance letter, a letter stating that the student has been accepted into a branch of the armed services, etc. to show that the student had plans to do something after high school. As much as I'd like for all Chicago high school seniors to have plans about their future set in stone, some don't and these kids shouldn't have to do anything other than pass their classes in order to graduate. What is this? Communist China where the government tells you how to run your life? What if a kid graduates from high school and just wants to continue working at Starbucks until he or she figures out what he or she wants to do in the future? What if the kid doesn't want to do a damn thing except sit on his or her ass watching television all day after graduation? (This would be a shame, but this student shouldn't be refused a high school diploma because of this choice.) It's wrong for Emanuel to try and force kids (adults, really, when they turn 18) to meet some requirement that he feels is necessary for success in life. What about encouraging kids to have a plan for their future rather than forcing them to have one? College is not for everyone. College immediately after high school is not for everyone. Everyone isn't interested in going into the military. Everyone can't snag an apprenticeship. Some high school seniors aren't ready to plan their lives out during senior year and ready, willing, and able to provide a letter that explains their future and these kids shouldn't have to.