Many Bermudians are growing increasingly disgusted at what appears to be an irreversible trend toward hostile conduct from too many young people, and a criminal element that has little regard for anyone, making our Island a more dangerous place to live.

Never in our history have we seen so much anti-social behaviour sweeping through our communities, and while most people try to cling to values we know promote order and peace, we are aware that something sinister is undermining efforts to regain our footing and the standards expected in a decent society.

There appears to be a little fiddle playing as Rome burns as too many in today's climate prefer to adopt the ostrich syndrome rather than admit that we have crucial social problems that clearly threaten our way of life.

In such a closely-knit society where people know who sneezed a block away it is amazing that when something criminal takes place many people are simply struck deaf and dumb. It may be somewhat blunt to put it that way, but recent events indicate that there is a silent war going on between people who want a better Bermuda and those who prefer to look the other way rather than become involved.

This is nothing new since Bermuda has been sliding in this direction for some years. That is, the core value system which actually should have its roots in the home has been crumbling. That in itself is an ugly truth we are yet to confront.

As a new Parliament session gets underway there will be the usual heated exchanges over what is best for Bermuda and its future and there will be no shortage of words in trying to make the best impression. But when the political dust settles there will still be questions over what is really happening to the Bermuda we all want to celebrate.

Three of the most deeply troubling areas of concern with many Bermudians is spiralling crime, health care and whether the education system needs to be overhauled to produce students who are able to speak properly and read well. We all know that discipline is hardly the order of the day, and with this absent from many homes it creates bigger challenges for educators.

Again people seem more inclined to take the ostrich position at the mere mention that too many young people today lack discipline and consequently are difficult to control in settings where this is required. All the town hall meetings in the world will not be able to reverse this trend until parents realise that, without discipline, you are grooming a child that will expect to get what they want, when they want it. Life is not like that.

On the other hand our political leaders must also set the right tone by carefully choosing words that build rather than break down. At the same time those elected representatives in Parliament must be more aware that their conduct, while doing the people's business, is also a measuring stick for young people and the general public regarding proper ethics.

They face crucial issues such as violent crime with increased gun play and while, some people take the view it is between gangs, bullets don't have eyes. This is a problem that simply must be dealt with. There is obviously the need for drastic changes in the law governing guns and crime, otherwise we will all be hostages on an Island where the criminal will have the upper hand.

We can only imagine a place where crime is out of hand and then gambling is introduced into the picture. Surely the legislators are aware that gambling anywhere has never been seen as adding to the moral standard of a community, irrespective of the motive. In light of our present state careful thought is needed on this subject.

We need very cool and calm heads in approaching problems if future generations are to reflect with pride on what is done today. Runaway emotions will not help. On the other hand the most dangerous stance would be to pretend the problems are not that bad and things will get better.

Yes, we all want things to get better, but it is difficult to see clearly if the ostrich syndrome is a part of how we deal with problems.