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Obama embraces Jamaicans; bound by friendship and family
By \\\\\ Kim Boodram kim.boodram@trinidadexpress.com
UNITED States President Barack Obama no doubt yesterday increased his “cool” factor with the world’s younger audience when he came out as a fan of late reggae artist Bob Marley and slung a “Greetings massive, wah gwaan, Jamaica” as he addressed students at the Mona Campus of the University of West Indies in Jamaica.
Obama, who later threw down a “big up” to the cheers of UWI students, is in Jamaica to meet with leaders of the 15-member Caricom, where he fielded questions from young leaders at the university, touched on the legalisation of marijuana and raised concern for climate change in the Caribbean.
After arriving in Kingston Wednesday for his first presidential visit to the island, Obama made a late-evening visit to the Bob Marley museum and said he had been a fan of the Jamaican icon since high school.
As he toured the collection, one of the reggae star’s most best-known hits, “One Love”, came through over the sound system.
One of the rooms Obama visited held Marley's platinum records and a Grammy and the US President said later on, "The quick trip that I made last night to Bob Marley's house was one of the more fun meetings that I've had since I've been President."
Obama's visit to Jamaica was the first by an American president since Ronald Reagan in 1982.
At The UWI, 350 excited students screamed in delight and according to a Jamaica Observer report, one student was overheard saying, "I can't believe I am actually looking at Barack Obama, if this is possible anything is possible."
Obama, who was expected to launch the Youth Leaders of the Americas Initiative during The UWI session tackled questions from the students on marijuana, China as a rising power, immigration and violence among young black men.
Marijuana legalisation no silver bullet
Following a question by participant Miguel “Steppa” Williams, on Jamaica's decriminalisation and legalisation of marijuana, Obama said the process is not a silver bullet.
"The so-called war on drugs has been so heavy in emphasising incarceration that it has been counterproductive," Obama said.
"You have young people who did not engage in violence who get very long penalties and are placed in prison and then are rendered economically unemployable or almost pushed into the underground economy and learn crime more effectively in prison."
He said as a result families are devastated. He said that the criminal justice systems must be reformed.
On the second issue of legalising marijuana for medicinal purposes or recreational use, he said: "There are two states in the United States that have embarked on an experiment to decriminalise or legalise marijuana, Colorado and Washington states, and we will see how that experiment works its way through the process.
"Right now that is not federal policy and I do not foresee, anytime soon, Congress changing the law on a national basis, but I do think that if there are states that show they are not suddenly a magnet for additional crime, that they have a strong enough public health infrastructure to push against the potential of increased addiction then it’s conceivable that that will spur on a national debate, but that is going to be some time off."
Obama said the third issue is based on US international policy.
"We had some discussion with the Caricom countries about this. I know on paper a lot of folks think, you know, what if we just legalise marijuana then it’ll reduce the money flowing into the transnational drug trade, there are more revenues and jobs created.
"I have to tell you that it’s not a silver bullet because, first of all, if you are legalising marijuana, how do you deal with other drugs and how do you draw the line."
He said Caribbean and Latin America to Central America have to co-operate with the US to try to shrink the power of transnational drug organisations that are "vicious and hugely disruptive".
Obama also later chose one of his questioners because he "looks a little bit" like Marshawn Lynch, the dreadlocked NFL running back—and for it got a detailed question on the merits of legalising marijuana.
"How did I anticipate this question?" Obama said, laughing, the Observer reported.
But the star-struck students weren't Obama's only fans.
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller wasn't coy to let Obama know that Jamaica loved him after they had met privately.
"I just want to say to you, you might not know, but you are very loved in this country," Simpson Miller said, before describing how many Jamaicans had lined the route they, mistakenly, thought his motorcade would take after he arrived Wednesday evening.
"So I just wanted to say you're well-loved in Jamaica," Simpson Miller declared. "Well, first of all I can say to you publicly, 'I love you'."
Climate change concerns
Obama also disclosed that climate change in the Caribbean and its high energy bills are on America's mind and he yesterday announced massive new partnerships and a new fund to mobilise private investment in clean energy projects in the Caribbean and in Central America.
This region has some of the highest energy costs in the world, Obama said and with Caribbean countries particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, "we have to act now".
Obama had previously mentioned that the bonds between the Caribbean and the US were "extraordinarily strong" and that the Caribbean is a place of extraordinary beauty, people of enormous spirit, unique talents, a wonderful culture.
"We are bound by friendship and shared values, and by family. And we have a great stake in each other’s success," Obama said.
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