Obviously the issue of conscription for the Bermuda Regiment remains a controversial one, with strong views for against the practice.

Making it even more complex is the fact that politics has been inserted, and that is unfortunate because the Bermuda Regiment represents the entire country, and has served with distinction with still greater contributions to make, it is allowed to.

The recent report on Bermuda by a group of Ministers from the UK which favored abolishing military conscription raised more than a few eyebrows, while probably pleasing those who have been campaigning to end the practice.

It may be argued that conscription is outdated and violates human rights. On the other hand, in a country without millions to rely on as volunteers, and a steady decline by too many young people in the area of genuine self-respect, the Bermuda Regiment might just be the last frontier for teaching that great value known as discipline to some young Bermudian men and women who otherwise would never know its importance.

Although those who oppose conscription will offer countless reasons why it is unfair, and they have a democratic right to express those views, the case for maintaining conscription is certainly not without merit. Let's face it, discipline has been crumbling in our social infrastructure for quite some years.

The sad part about this, is that discipline is required not only in the military, but in our daily lives. A young man or woman without respect for discipline, will often run into problems on the job because they are uncomfortable at times when it comes to complying with specific instructions, designed to achieve a particular result.

In the old days a great deal of discipline came directly from the home, and also in our schools. What was very clear then was that if you did not comply, consequences often made you wish you had. This helped in many ways to build inner character.

Somehow in the changing order of things, discipline has slowly been eased off the stage to a point when a parent corrects child today using the old fashion method, that child could report the parent for physical abuse. No right thinking person supports physical abuse, and that should always be condemned, but there are times when discomfort for doing the wrong thing, sends a clearer message about expected standards.

No matter how bitter and angry some might feel about being made to serve in the Bermuda Regiment, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives by a long shot.

I have heard stories from several young men who said had it not been for what the Bermuda Regiment taught them about life, they would have been spending more time in another Government run facility. The inescapable fact is that without discipline, the door will continue to be wide open for social discord.

Too many parents today are quick to find excuses as to why their offspring behave the way they do, when the reason is really a failure to instil respect for discipline during the infant stages. Of course many cite having to work two and three jobs, makes it almost impossible to give full attention to these areas.

However a healthy society dictates that if one fails to learn basic principles early, adjusting is much more difficult later. The Bermuda Regiment might not be the be all and end all for young people missing the boat on discipline, but it could well be the last, best chance for many before slipping out of the social order of community life.

Apart from that, there is a special pride in not only serving your country but also being a part of a unit committed to bringing the best out of young men a women who join the team. Whatever happens in the future, if anything is done to diminish perhaps the last opportunity to preserve discipline, it could only mean our value structure will continue to disintegrate. If this is allowed to happen, the Bermuda we like to take pride in will become a thing of the past.

The Government needs to look at this issue long and hard, in an effort to make the right decision for Bermuda.

What is best for the country and not what pleases one group or another, should be the only basis for whatever they decide.