Keystone XL Pipeline Monologue : Brandon Yam & Tiarra Bell
Five Key Facts:
- Keystone XL Pipeline will cause environmental harm and ecological problems.
- Money gained from this project will further education in local schools.
- 30% of U.S. emissions are from the Keystone XL Pipelines.
- The project will create thousands of jobs
- Contribute over $20 billion to the U.S. economy.
Monologue #1 (Brandon)
(Icarus, a spoiled rich child. wakes up in his room)
Icarus - *yawns*
“Herald! Bring me a chocolate sundae, yeah?”
“NO CHERRIES”
(get’s up and makes his way through his house)
“Herald you dumb buffoon I said no cherries! You can’t get anything right can you?”
“ Where is my mother and father? “
“ Out? What do you mean they’re out? “
“ Yes, I would like to call them”
(calls his father)
“ Dad, where are you and mom? “
“ Jail!?”
“What in the heavens are you doing in jail?”
“ You did all of this for a stupid pipeline?!”
“ What about the new xbox you said you were gonna get me? Huh? What about the PS4? Huh? How are you supposed to get me these things when you quit your job and donated most of our money!”
“ I don’t want to play with those stupid toys anymore. I’ve had them for a long time. They’re old and stupid.”
“ 2 weeks is a very long time! “
“ You know, I don’t care just come back quickly before Herald has a stroke or something.”
(hangs up phone)
*sighs*
“Stupid parents… “
“Herald! Do you know anything about this XL Pipeline?”
“ I want you to look it up and report back to me with everything you found out in the next hour you hear?”
“ Go on, run along now.”
(Icarus goes around the house occupying himself)
“ I’m here! OVER HERE, HERALD!”
“ You’re too old for this job, Herald, god gave you eyes for a reason. Please use them.”
“ Did you find anything? “
“ Pro’s and cons?”
"The environment will die out quickly?"
"Sure as hell not as quickly as you."
"Health problems, environmental problems, and even ecological problems?"
"What's the worst than can happen? Plants and fish are gonna die?
"Oh. They will die. Whoops. "
"Enough Herald. I don't want to hear no more. I think my IQ dropped like 10 points just from listening to you. "
“ What should I do Herald? “
“ Should I just stand here and wait for my parents to come back?”
“ I should...help them?”
“ I mean I could do that, it’s not a big deal.”
“ Whatever, I suppose helping people sometimes isn’t a bad thing. I’ve got to build up my rep anyways.”
“ Get the car ready, Herald.”
(Icarus gets in the car and heads over to where the protest is taking place)
“Stupid pipeline ruining my day. I’ll make sure this doesn’t get passed if it’s the last thing I do.”
END
Monologue #2 (Brandon)
Terra- (walking down the street slowly browsing stores from the outside) *sighs*
“Looks like nobody is hiring around here…”
“Maybe that’ll change tomorrow.”
(Stops in front of a Radio Shack)
“Hmmmm, let’s try here.”
(walks into the shop)
“Hey! Oh no I’m not buying anything I was just wondering if you have a job opening by any chance.”
“Oh, alright. I’ll wait here then.”
(He hear’s a nearby tv talking about the Pipeline opening up 80,000 jobs in the U.S.)
“A pipeline, huh?”
“80,000 new jobs?!”
(Terra paces back and forth in the shop thinking about the pipeline. As he’s doing this the store attendant returns)
“Huh? Oh yeah, that’s me. So, you don’t have an opening?”
“Ok, well thanks for asking. But I think I’ll be able to get a job soon.”
(Terra calls a friend of his that works for TransCanada)
“Hey, bud!”
“No, I’m not calling for money this time.”
“You work for TransCanada, right?”
“I was just wondering you know, I heard about the pipeline and how it will open 80,000 new jobs.”
“Do you think you could promise me a spot for one of those jobs?”
“Of course I support it! I mean yeah! XL Pipeline all the way, you know? *laughs*”
“ Really? You’re serious right?”
“Thanks bud! You’re the best!”
(call ends)
“Whooooo! I can’t believe this is happening!”
“ I guess my luck has finally changed for once.”
(Terra calls his brother Samuel about the good news)
“Samuel!”
“ I got a job!”
“Yep, I’m serious.”
“My bud promised me a spot in building a pipeline. I think it was called SL Pipeline or something.)
“Yeah! I meant XL Pipeline. How did you know that?”
“What do you mean you’re protesting?”
“What’s so bad about this pipeline?”
“You know what, I called because I thought you’d be happy for me because I just got a job, but I guess I was wrong.”
“I don’t care about the consequences! For once, Samuel, for once in my life I have something to look forward to! I don’t have to worry about what my next meal will be or when my house will be taken away.”
“This isn’t what I need to hear right now. Goodbye, Samuel.”
(hangs up)
“What a knucklehead.”
(Terra’s at home in a chair thinking about the Pipeline)
“Why was he so mad at me?”
“What’s the big deal about the Pipeline?”
“I guess finding out what I’m working for isn’t a bad idea.”
(researches XL Pipeline on computer)
“Can kill more jobs that it creates huh?....Go figure”
“ Tar sand oil dangerous….”
“Health problems…”
“Is this what I am supporting?”
(calls Samuel)
“Sorry about earlier Samuel I was just on the edge.”
“Can you tell me more about this Pipeline?”
END
Monologue #1 (Tiarra)
*Emma Tremblay is a single mother living in Athabasca Alberta, Canada; she soon faces trouble when the company TransCanada is trying to run the KeyStone XL pipeline through her backyard.
(Emma is sitting at her desk at work when she sees her phone ring. It’s reads *Chelsea - her daughter* )
I was at work when she called me. I remember it clearly.
“Mama these men are at our house”
I’m thinking, what men?
But to only realize it’s those men.
The fear in her voice brought tears to my eyes.
(On her drive home she begins to ponder)
“Sure, Yes, Go head”
These words used to advantage and to control many people. One being me.
Too many times have I said them. Too many times have I been controlled by them.
“Yes you can do that” “Sure why not” Always trying to please others even if i’m totally against it.
Our so called friendly neighbors want to take our resources want to make a little profit but at the same time destroy our land. The government took control of the commoners for way too long. Not only are they going to destroy their land but they are going to pose a threat to me for me land.
(Emma is at home now and she discovers those men, the pipeline men in her backyard)
Red, grey, red, grey, phony smiles, constantly nodding heads scattered all about my property. Those men dressed all in their suits, sticking the flagged stakes where this pipeline is supposed to be... in my backyard while i’m hiding on the sidelines watching it all pass before my eyes. They push and trampled over me like they just hit a gold mine. I ask them…
“Why must they do this to me?”
Only to get papers thrown in my face saying they now have procession over my property.
Now the time has come…
Come ahead and mess with me, i’m not ashamed of what I am now. You provoked me, thinking I would sit back and watch this. This land has been preserved for us by our ancestors for hundreds of years but now we are the sacrifice for the devil’s works. It’s time to stand up and fight for what’s ours so it can be here for generations to come.
*Jackie Loo is a News Reporter for Maine's News channel for about 6 years, she travels all around the world reporting breaking news. You would think she enjoys her job but soon you will find out she hates it. One story in particular is the Keystone XL pipeline, she travels to the construct sites reporting for why they should build the pipeline while she completely opposes the idea of this pipeline and anything else the media puts out there.
(Jackie Loo is at the TransCanada Corporate building interviewing the head of the Keystone XL project when all these thoughts of anger pop into her head.)
I can't keep going on like this…
It’s secretly tearing me apart.
This job is wants me to be something i’m not.
Everyday, I travel all over the world then I get in front of that camera and pretend to support something I completely oppose.
“Jackie Loo here reporting for the construction of the Keystone pipeline”
Don’t people know what will happen of this plan is followed through?
Not only lives will be at staked but our wonder home. Planet Earth.
Here I go again.
“60 seconds to air”
I really don’t want to feed this crap to Americans.
“20 seconds”
“10”
“9”
“8”
(The camera man starts to count down on his fingers)
“3,2,1”
“Now to you Jackie”
“Thanks Dave, I’m here at the TransCanada cooperate building speaking to the head of the Keystone XL Pipeline Project, Bob Toomey.”
“How will this pipeline benefit the American people?”
“It will create 20,000 jobs and bring in $585,0….”
(Bob continues talking while Jackie is telling him off in her head)
Why can’t this man be completely honest and tell America what could really happen?
How about this dirty Tar Sands oil? Or oil spills or taking people’s land?
I’m sick of this rich people thinking they can control everything and do anything thinking the consequences would just fade away.
These people are the reasons that i’m being pushed closer to the edge.
Each day they put me on air to sink their bios opinions on how life “should be” into to the minds of innocent viewers. Americans watch television seeking for some light in their lives but only to be feed this crap.
These people don’t care about us, they are their own priorities; they want to rip us off to become more powerful.
But I’ve got news for you, your cheap propaganda doesn’t work for me. I will not conform to your image. You are not going to turn me into something i’m not. You thought that I could be another mouthpiece for the creed but I'm not ashamed to tell you that I'm not.
(Jackie interrupts Bob)
“Can you stop talking for a moment Bob. There’s something I would like to tell America”Monologue #3 (Tiarra & Brandon)
Sid - “Hey! I’m home!”
“What’s up little ones? Did ya miss Daddy?”
“Yeah kind of”
“How was school buttercup?”
“It’s could be better but what can I do. So how was your day?”
“Aah, I had a good day at work, but today was my last day.”
“What!! Why?”
“Because I’m quitting my job.”
“No, you can’t!”
“There are some things you may not understand, but it’s for a good cause.”
“But you’ll understand later in life. There are people in this world that do things to hurt others. Some people right now are trying to build something that will hurt the earth.”
“But you can’t quit, times are hard and we have no money.”
“Don’t worry about the money. We’ll get by somehow.”
“You’re worrying too much about this. Don’t you trust your own pap?”
“But…”
“Besides, nature is too beautiful. I won’t let it be destroyed.”
Daddy I wish you would just listen to me for once, we are all you have and I want the best for you and Bud.
Ever since Mom died things have really gotten rough on us.
We had to learn how to take of each other while still living through the pain.
The pain inside us had to be keep in a box behind our hearts to show that we are strong for Bud.
“Why did mama die”
“Well because she was very sick”
“Didn’t they give her medicine”
“Yes but it wasn’t strong enough but everything is fine because be we will soon see her when we go to heaven”
Every night.
Every night it was a routine.
Bud would ask those same questions, some how I knew he was crumbling inside just like us but I just had a feeling he was trying to stay strong for us too.
During those 7 years of Mama’s cancer, it began our journey to truly find who we are as individuals and a family. I’ve learned that we have to take care of each other when she is no longer here. You are trying your best by working this construction job so we can have a little money on your pockets. But now you want to quit.
Dad, you know how hard it was to get back on our feet and now you just want to throw it all away because you don’t like what the “company is doing to the earth”. You are right, the earth is our home but drilling a little oil from the ground won’t hurt. We can’t focus on the earth right now, our top priorities are making sure we have a steady income to at least keep the lights on.
So just consider not quitting your job.
