President Barack Obama, on his visit to the University of the West Indies, Mona, actually spoke in the language of the so-called uneducated Jamaican, giving recognition to those who are not afraid to talk Jamaican because is “fi wi language”. Goodness, gracious me! Mi never hear dis from mi bawn. When tappanares like HM di Queen and all her ginneration set foot yah so, speakey-spokey is how dem talk. Nobody sneered at them. Why are we so uncertain about our identity?

We talk ‘Merican so much that it is easy to denigrate our origins. Even before we touch down on ‘Merican soil we begin the twang and the drawl. When we hear the highest official giving recognition to the “Jamaica Talk” some can’t believe it. Why wouldn’t he stay within his boundary lines? What was he up to, bigging up di “massive”? By this, he would know that we’re not an easy nation.

Look at how some of us busy picking on him as if he were a candidate running for election here. Waste man? Where that one come from, and why? Have we forgotten to do anything else but pick fights with everybody and burn up social media too, cause nothing from yard stays here?

Who would expect the US President to greet a gathering of young Jamaican leaders of tomorrow and do so in their own voice, the real native tongue? It might not be as easy as it was in the past to woo young people by venturing into their own space, but this is the new way. President Obama captured the imagination and interest of university students, who gave him their full attention as he greeted them as “Massive” and asked “What a gwaan?”. They relaxed and gave themselves up to the skill of a real communicator. How many of our leaders do that off the election platform?

It is a well-known fact that tourists who come here expect to go back home being able to chat a spot of Jamaican “Hey, mon”. A President talking Jamaican is not so strange after all. He’s been around. With sleeves rolled up, he indicated that he was ready to sweat, if it came to that and sweat he did.

The world is widening. It is not enough to mouth platitudes. People on a mission have to ensure that their message gets across. Obama is smarter than many of us, whether we like it or not. He works hard to reach “the massive”. We, of course, have to face criticism when we do not “speak properly”. On the grounds of Yale and Harvard, and all the Ivy League colleges for which we here have taken to mortgaging our future to scrape up the money for the tuition fee of our offspring, they’re not as fixated with what other people think, as we are. Talk the message, or sing it, doesn’t matter, so long as we learn.

It is hardly likely that when word reached Obama that not everybody in Jamaica was bowled over by him, he broke down and wept. The response, most likely, was “What a gwaan?” I doubt that he wastes time and energy on unimportant minutiae, focusing instead on the larger issues. We haven’t quite gone there yet.

The purists may never give up on the drive to bury patwa, but the people’s language will not disappear just like that. If others are to respect us and our heritage we have to stop selling ourselves short and show that we can focus too. We have a right to demand respect for our own heritage. We won’t get it if all we do is chop down and do our best to destroy what is ours.

As to the argument about President Obama being a “waste man”, whatever that is, we should be so lucky to come into contact with one so determined to help others succeed. I would think that what we have to do is devote time to building for the future. If it isn’t time-wasting, then what is it?

One evil we would be wise to unite and conquer is the continuing slaughter of our children. Yes, I’m back on the topic again. We’re still at it. The why still escapes us. What a gwaan there? The reports of the latest atrocities against our youth continue to diminish us. How can we hold up our heads when almost everyday the call is made to save rather than destroy our children, “What a gwaan?” When will we be able to answer honestly and truthfully that we are doing enough to save young lives? That’s what should be going on.

To be a hero or not to be?

That’s the Marley question to be asked, and not just because President Obama paid homage. How come Bob Marley is known and respected in every corner of the globe for his contribution to world culture, immortalised everywhere, but still faced with doubts back-a-yard? Why hasn’t he been given hero status, or must he be a freedom fighter? Why not a National Cultural Hero? That is all right with me. The National Cultural Hero designation was put up for action by at least two previous administrations, some time ago, but the ideas still have not come to fulfillment. Why not try again? This is a question we should continue to avoid answering.

OOPS and SORRY: Last week, I goofed, and now I apologise. Ms Susan Rice, US ambassador to the United Nations and member of the Obama Cabinet, was not among those who accompanied President Obama here, as I mistakenly told you. Mea Culpa! I should have checked the facts, according to the training which I received, but failed to follow through. (Whoy!) I do hope that Ms Rice will actually visit soon so that we can see the calibre of our people who continue to enhance Brand Jamaica. It would be an honour to meet her and find out “What a gwaan?”

gloudonb@yahoo.com