Keystone Pipeline Monologues

          In my World History class, we have been learning about big world issues and how they affect certain people and different environments. The Keystone Pipeline is something we are currently talking about. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the keystone pipeline and the controversy surrounding, it is basically a Pipeline that the United States government is trying to run from the Tarsands in Canada to the oil reserves in Texas. There are a lot of people who are pro Pipeline because they believe it is a resourceful way to save money, and a lot of people are con Pipeline because they believe the long term affects will ruin the ecosystem. This lesson was all about getting in the heads several different people with several different points of view and seeing how they think. As you go on, you will read 3 monologues I have written about the Keystone Pipeline, I was able to place myself in different characters minds and write on how the Pipeline would affect them personally. I hope by the end you will be able to do the same. Enjoy :)
Monologue #1. Goodbye Ranch.

(Big Mac is grazing in the fields when T-Bone, his son approaches galloping up as fast as his little calf legs will carry him. Big Mac turns in his direction, immediately on edge sensing something is wrong.)

    What is it son? (the confusion and shock is clearly displayed.)
Slow down, slow down. They’re what? Who told you..? (dramatic pause as Big Mac struggles to process it.) Okay, okay, daddy will take care of it. Now go get your sister from the barn its almost grazing time.
(Big Mac turns his bag on the little boy, and starts pacing around.. he turns around suddenly hearing a noise..)
I said i’ll take care of it, Oh.. sorry I thought you were, T-bone.. (listens to his wife, clearly preoccupied with his own thoughts.) No .. no, everything is fine.. (listens to the wife, puts his hooves up to his face) I’m telling you nothings wrong. Why do you keep trying to press the issue. There is absolutely nothing going on.. well, that I can’t take care of anyway. They call me Big Mac for a reason, I handles all the issues, and i handle them well, don't you worry your pretty little face Cleo, it’s fine.. (Big Mac sighs obviously annoyed because his wife keeps pressing the issue and motions towards Cleo to have a seat.) Honey, I'm telling you, its nothing, but if you must know.. Sit Down, we dont have much time to talk.. the calfs will be back soon to graze. T-bone came in here not too long ago and said he overheard the farmer talking about a trade.. Honey, don't go making a fuss, the neighbors will overhear! (Big Mac puts his head in his hooves, clearly frustrated) Cleo i’m going to need you to get a grip. We can’t let the calfs see us getting worked up, they’ll get scared.
The Farmer is thinking of selling us.. (Pause for Cleo to speak.) because he wants to sell the land..(pause for Cleo to speak)  to the government ofcourse.. (pause for Cleo to speak, Big Mac's frstration is clearly displayed. Cleo's interruptions are upsetting him, he sighs before continuing) ..So they can build some dipthe vine or something or other, something like that..(pause for Cleo to finish) Yea, yes! That! A Pipeline.. whatever in Sams Hell that is. How’d you know? (pauses for Cleo to speak, then chuckles clearly not surprised) I should’ve known the hens overheard something. They’re always sticking their feathers in places that it has no business in. How could the farmer be seriously considering this? Do you know what this would do to our family? T-Bone just started barn school, and Pattly just made some new friends with the pigs. There whole life is here! (Big Mac is clearly getting annoyed, his voice raises and words bunch together.. he's speaking faster and faster with each question) Where the hell are we suppose to go? And when did the farmer think he was going to tell us? And in what world is is ever okay for the government to just come and take it?! No.. No, i'm going to do something. We are not going silently, this is not okay. I’ll take care of it dont worry. (Big Mac sighs and moves to the fare left hand side of the stage.. he looks out into the pasture.)
​Monologue #2. Veggies Gone WILD!

(the carrot is planted firmly in the ground, he doesn't do much moving aside from some wiggling and frequent eye movement. Note to the preformer: the EYES play a big part in playing this role.)


                 Yay, they say. Congratulations! Good luck out there. way to go champ. When will they all realize, its not so great, getting picked.. at least I hope not. But the way the adults act when the gods come and pick us out the ground, and the tales they tell, the celebrations they throw, you would think its the best thing in the world. My whole life I’ve been told to soak up all my minerals so I can grow up big and strong and be picked first of my generation. Maybe that's not what I want, maybe I don’t want to be picked first. I just want it to come already, want to stop worrying about whether I’m plump enough, or whether I’m tall enough, or whether I’m orange enough.
(Looks over to the potato and shrugs)
You feel me? oh who am I kidding of course you don’t understand. you’re a frickin’ potato, you’re a root. You get bunched inside of a bag with others like you, the gods will buy a whole bag of you and not care how plump, round or ripe you are. ugh! I just wish things could be different around here.. (listens to the potato and rolls eyes) .. Yea man but that’s just talk, plants in these gardens have nothing better to do than make up stuff nowadays, you know that.. (listens to potatoe) Yea, man.. I mean, that would be pretty cool if we all got picked but I don’t think that’s actually going to happen. It seems pretty unrealistic, like C’mon now, the farmer picking all of us so he can put in a water pipe? Thats dumb, he can put a water pipe anywhere. He can but it next to the beets, nobody likes them anyway, and besides, why would they pick us all so early, I mean look at the onions over there, they look a hot mess, no god would buy them. (begins to chuckle as he listens to the potatoes reason.) An oil pipe? (his laughter begins to manifest) Dude, this doesn’t make any kind of sense we have oil reserves out in Texas, Alaska, and I heard in Cali somewhere, running a pipe from Canada is cray.. (listens to the potato, then interrupts his voice raising, obvious frustration is shown) Dude, woah, no, … (cut off by the potato, begins to sound softer, struggles to maintain his voice).. I’m not saying you’re crazy. I’m simply saying you sound it.. (now frustrated.) no, never did i once call you a liar.. (raising his voice to talk over the potato) I’m not calling you a liar, I’m just saying it sound a little.. no i was just going to say idiotic.. Well you don’t have to get upset.. (gasps, and looks offended) I don’t like your tone of voice.. Hey! Hey. I want to picked just as much as the next carrot in this garden but you don’t see me making up ridiculous stories. All that's going to do it get your hopes up. You’re tricking yourself into believing the farmer is going to come around any minute to dig us up and put this pipe in. And if you ask me, you’re still looking a little green. If the farmer picked you right now.. you’d be thrown away. (sits there and pouts, makes the expression on his face visible. he’s not obviously offended) I am not. I will grow. I’m not a baby carrot. I will grow big and plump, and the finest of the finest gods will buy me. You’ll see.. (whispers to himself) This whole garden will see.


​Monologue #3.  Daddy Knows Best.

(She is sitting outside on the juggle gym with her friends, hanging upside down, her eyes are wide, she is very excited.)

                 Hey guys, were do babies come from? (a look of disappointment crosses over her face, she obviously doesn't accept the answers her friends provide) I don't think aliens from space bring babies Alexandra! (listens to her other friend, her grimace turns into a smile) I don't think the stork is real either Asher. It's okay i'll just ask my daddy. He knows everything he works for the government. (listens to the chatter or her friends, looks up all excited and important, begins to brag.) He handles a whole lot of secret agent stuff, he knows stuff you guys don't know. and he tells me stuff you guys parents don't even know yet. But since you guys are my friends I'll let you know. (her eyes get wide and her face gets serious and her tone is hushed. She wags her fingers and narrows her eyes) but you can't tell anybody. It's top secret, you have to swear. (she listens to her friends) .. no SWEAR! promise, pinky promise. you too Oliva! (after her friends pinky swear her expression relaxes she pulls herself upright on the juggle gym and her face folds into a smile) Okay, you guys. My daddy said the government is going to put in this super pipe that goes from allll the way from Canada where the Tarsands are to alllll the way to Texas were there's this huge sea of oil. All the oil we use for cars and stuff is there, and we're running out of oil so they need to take some from Canada. My daddy said it's going to save the United States so much money, and it's going to make so many jobs for people who don't have them (she turns to Oliva with wide excited eyes) so you're auntie can get another job Oliva! My daddy said that us and Canada are going to be best friends, because they're giving us there oil and we're paying them for it. He said that gas prices might raise 10 or 20 cents more, but if you ask me a dime is a pretty cheap price to pay for a healthy friendship. Oh guys and I didn't even tell you the best part, while they're putting the pipeline in the ground they have to move the farmers and the farm animals, so the sheep and the cows, and the chickens are all coming to visit us here in Florida! (She starts laughing and cheering and getting her friends hyped up. She is excited for the Pipeline.)

​Additional Information For your Enjoyment. aka FUNFACTS :)

*If the Pipeline goes through it will create about 25 hundred to 46 hundred temporary jobs.
*If the Pipleline goes through it will create about 20,000 permanent jobs.
*The Keystone Pipeline will transport about 830,000 barrels of oil.
*Importing oil from Canada is anticipated to eliminate all other Middle East oil importers
*The Keystone Pipeline would transfer 5 million barrels a day.
*Importing oil from Canada would be cheaper than importing it from the Middle East
*Creating this Pipeline would bring 3 to 4 billion dollars into the economy in the long run.

​Bibliography;


1. McBride, Erin. (2012): n. page. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://beta.fool.com/erinannie/2012/03/09/keystone-xl-pipeline-who-benefits-who-doesnt/2773/>.

2. Clayton, Mark. (2012): n. page. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46689167/ns/us_news-christian_science_monitor/t/how-much-would-keystone-pipeline-help-us-consumers/

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