This was sent to Premier Paula Cox and copied to The Royal GazetteAugust 19, 2011Good Day Mrs. Paula Cox,I am a young (25 years old) Bermuda College student who has also served a year and a half in the Bermuda Regiment. The other day I started to wonder why young Bermudian males only have the choice to join the Police Service, Fire Department or volunteer at St John Ambulance as an alternative to joining the Regiment? Shouldn’t we also have the choice to go to college and get a degree, at the minimum, as an alternative too? Some could even look at this as a form of oppression: Viewing males as physical labour that do not need an education.As a country that is finding more and more young males ignoring a higher education, wouldn’t you want to encourage more young males to attend college? It just doesn’t seem right that someone can spend four years or more of their life dedicated to a higher education and be forced to serve in the Regiment (or the alternatives mentioned above) once they’ve completed their studies, especially at a time when they really should be focused on their newly obtained careers. Some young males juggle Regiment, college and a job at once. Quite a heavy load that can impact ones GPA or strain one’s personal/social/family life.Please take this into consideration. It could have a major positive influence on our country that can change lives. If it wasn’t for me needing surgery on my back and therefore getting discharged from the Regiment, I probably would have never made the choice to go back to school. But, with my newly given free time, I saw an opportunity and so far my Bermuda College experience has been spectacular.BRIAN BOTELHOPaget