3 Keystone Pipeline Monologues

Posted by Rahed Albarouki in World History - Block on

I.

I was assigned a project in my History class where I had to write three different monologues on views of the Keystone Pipeline from different perspectives. I chose to write three pieces on people who are against it, but they all have their own unique quality to them.

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A world where man is the superior, is a world worth dying. Centuries have passed and humans have done nothing but trash this Earth. Earth has beauty and wonders like no other. If you think about it, it's actually very unique. Many people would try to preserve its grace, but often fail by the ignorance of greed. As of right now a pipeline is being built, that will stretch from Alberta, Canada, to Houston, Texas, and it will transfer oil in and out of this country. The Keystone Pipeline is probably going to be one of the most hurtful inventions on this planet. There is a huge possibility that the pipeline will effect nature, animals, and residents of this country. Environmentalists are trying to stop this project. They fear that it will harm animals, water supply, and most importantly, nature. Not only do they fear it, but they've felt it. Thousands of boycotts have happened around the country to try and put a stop to this. I've seen videos and photos of protestors chaining themselves to trees, to prevent the claw of a bulldozer from digging up a three hundred year old piece of life. I've learned to stand right next to them and be called a "nature freak" because I feel like this world is crumbling around us and if we don't do something now, Mother Nature going to shut her eyes on the outside forces.

II.

#1 Eirene
(is staring at the nurse with a friendly smile on her face) 

No, I don’t need my wig today. I would like a bandana though. My head can get a bit chilly. Yea the green one. Green is my favorite color. No, I don’t want to watch cartoons. (looks at TV) I hear Scott Pelley talking about nature! That’s way more exciting than Spongebob! Like I said Sue, green is my favorite color! What do those headlines say? A Trees SOS. The Ground Is Crying. Wh-What?? (looks at the nurse) Sue, what is this? A pipeline to transfer oil?  (stares off into the distance and is shaking her head side-to-side slowly in frustration) Oil. Hm, figures. (looks back at TV) Environmentalists Arrested For Protesting. (pauses for a second ----- then gets really angry and screams) NARROW-MINDED SONS-A-BITCHES! FUCK YOU! All this country wants is money! MONEY! It’s all about greed! They know NOTHING! NOTHING! All those damn Republicans want is to dirty the Earth with their hands! Mess around with its vulnerability until it finally crumbles. (she turns her head towards the nurse. is angry) No, I won’t be quiet! I don’t give a shit if the other nurses hear me! I give a shit if the world hears me! Excuse me? What do you think because I can hardly walk, I can’t speak? Haha, yea right they’re going to arrest me. I’d rather die before I give in!

(about a 5 second pause, then she’s in heaven.. standing. she speaks slowly and in a calm manner)

Peace. Peace is what needs to happen. But it won’t. It never will. Not for the Earth. Not for me. I’m standing here in front of the gates of heaven, dead. (serious face) Dead. When I said I’d rather die before I give in, I wasn’t lying. I’m dead for a reason. Not because of my disease, but because of my morals. (kind of a confused expression on her face) My morals. When you die with something you stand for, it’s called integrity. When you die because of something you stand for, it’s called (about a 1 second pause) “someone is a bitch.”



#2 Bye-Bye Birdie​

(staring off into the distance with a scared expression on her face) 

Oh shit. A bulldozer. (panicking to wake up her sons) Darling, darling wake up your brother! Now! Come on, we have to go. No questions! Just go! (points) Fly down by the bush! (screams) HURRY! (looks down from the tree to her one son) You down there?? OK, wait for us! (is rushing her other son) Come on Birdie, lets go. What do you mean you can’t fly? (pauses, a bit scared) Oh damn. You’re the one who isn’t full grown. Well, sweetie, it’s time to learn how to fly by falling. Lets go! 1-2-3!! (optimistic) Haha, you’re doing it! (her son starts falling, so she screams) NO NO NOOO!! (her son lands on the ground and can’t move) Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! Come on, we have to go now! You can’t move? Which wing? (stares at the in coming bulldozer) Oh My God! (staring at her son on the ground) No, no! I’m not going without you! Let’s go! (stares at her son by the bush) No, stay over there!! STAY OVER THERE! (staring at her son on the ground) We’re going to make it! Do you hear me Birdie? We are going to make it! (pauses for a few seconds while staring at her son on the ground. she realizes that he’s not going to move) You’re not going to make it are you? Then, neither am I. Yes I am staying. (gets serious and in her son’s face) I’m your mother and you will do as I say and I will do what I want. (the bulldozer is near) I love you. (her scream is progressing to a very loud “NO”) no-no-No-NO-NOOOOOOO!!

​

#3 Hey There Delilah



(the dad is smiling at his daughter with an exhausted expression on his face) 



“Hey there Delilah! How are you?? You enjoying time with your mom?” (she sounds sad and is speaking in a low tone of voice. she is writing in her journal) That’s all he says me when he wakes my tired six year old body up at two in the morning after his job is finished. I never see my daddy. At least not after he got that job as a construction worker for some dumbass pipeline. (she finally stares straight into your eyes) Oops, can’t say that word. Mommy said I’m not allowed to curse. But I hear daddy curse all the time. (she is looking around, kind of depressed looking) He curses at mommy. Before he got the job, he would always sing the song, “Hey There Delilah” to me. His vocals put me to sleep. Now, I don’t sleep. I just lay in my bed all day while mommy’s working. She’s always working late... that’s what she tells me when I ask where she’s been. When she comes to kiss me goodnight, her breath smells like a bottle of something I recognize from a family reunion that I once went too. It smells nasty. (looks down at her journal, kind of whispering) Daddy just got home.. I’ll be back in a minute Journal. You lay on my pillow, just like you always do. We rehearsed remember? Ugh, I don’t have time, daddy’s home. (the dad is smiling at his daughter with an exhausted expression on his face) “Hey there Delilah! How are you?? You enjoying time with your mom?” (she starts off laying down, but then gets up and looks at her down in the eyes) Hey there daddy, where have you been? (the dad is looking around like he wants to cry, trying to avoid it)


​III.
Appendix
- It increases greenhouse gas emissions
- The pipeline is running directly over the biggest source of fresh water in the middle of our continent - The Aguila Aquifer. If leaks occur, contamination is certain.
- By reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we will make our Nation more secure and improve our trade balance, thus creating jobs and supporting domestic industry.
- It puts the country deeper in debt.
- Julia Trigg Crawford feels like it’s immoral to run a pipeline of oil under her land that is considered sacred.
- Climate change: the tar sands will add to the realism of global warming





​Bibliography
- Mufson, Steven. "Keystone Pipeline Clears a Hurdle." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/texas-judge-rules-in-favor-of-transcanada-in-eminent-domain-case/2012/08/23/87744776-ecda-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html>.
- Sartore, Photograph By Joel. "Pictures: Animals That Blocked Keystone XL Pipeline Path." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/01/pictures/120119-animals-blocked-keystone-xl/>.

​- "Keystone XL Pipeline: How Long Will Customers Wait?" The Huffington Post. The Canadian Press, 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/01/19/keystone-xl-pipeline-customers-delay_n_1216194.html>.

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