With her doors spread wide open, she welcomed her guests. One by one they came. Two by two they came. Each of them embracing and speaking to others who had walked through those eastern facing doors.

Once again, Devonshire Church hall was the setting for a gathering of the multitudes. Unlike other occasions, the setting was not one of a religious nature or an after-service social tea. This occasion was to become one of the benchmarks of what Bermudian politics should be about.

Approximately 200 persons of all ethnicities, gender and political persuasions assembled for a “Meet the Candidates” forum/debate put on by Age Concern. Such was the draw of the event that one had to negotiate for standing space.

Moderator of the day was Age Concern executive director Claudette Fleming. On the panel were Age Concern officials Linda Smith and Charles Jeffers. Sitting on either side of the table were the respective Constituency 13 candidates, Andrew Simons, of the One Bermuda Alliance, and Diallo Rabain, of the Progressive Labour Party.

For nearly two hours the audience asked questions specific to the concerns of Bermudian seniors inclusive of stagnant pensions, rising healthcare costs, immigration issues and same-sex marriage.

As they were asked questions by the audience, both candidates gave a combination of their own personal opinions intertwined with their respective party positions. To be fair to Age Concern and both candidates, it would be best to listen to the entire audio to appreciate the fullness of the exercise.

The audio can be found here.

What happened after the event was not recorded on audio, but was something that will be etched in the memory of many who witnessed it.

With copious amounts of iced tea flowing and generously proportioned sandwiches freely passed around, the meeting after the meeting began in earnest.

In different sub-gatherings in the room, persons spoke of how both candidates presented themselves in distinctly different yet highly respectable manners. Many spoke of how pleased they were that this event gave them a chance not only to meet the candidates but, more importantly, to see policies explained in rational manners and understandable words.

Irrespective of party affiliation, members of the audience embraced both candidates warmly with hand shaking, kisses and individual words of encouragement and advice. At one point, the candidates and their support teams were seen to be joking with each other while assisting to pack away the hundreds of chairs

With most Bermudians being related in one way or the other, whether via blood, marriage or social interactions, it is impossible to escape the interconnectivity of persons who at times find themselves on different sides of the fence politically.

It is events such as this that bring things back into perspective: as a country, we need to focus on issues and not individuals, and policies over personalities. Our seniors deserve our full and undivided attention.

Thank you, Age Concern.