Pipeline Monologue Project

A Man in Trouble

Setting: Talking in front of a crowd of people in a town meeting. He’s standing up in front of a table.

Everyone in favor of the pipeline is saying that it will open up more job opportunities, but nobody thinks about how many jobs it could also harm. There are a lot of farmer’s and land workers where this pipeline is going though, and its creating, what? About twenty thousand jobs at the most? When there s-springs a leak, it’s going to wipe out the farms from Canada to Texas. If you take the time to think about it, running this pipeline could lose more jobs then create.

Picks up picture of his baby from the table This is my baby, Charlie. Puts photo onto table. Charlie was born t-two months premature. My wife and I are always going to have to look after Charlie, to make sure he develops properly and is all right. If my farm is ruined how am I going to be able to take care of him? How is a-a-anybody going to be able to take care of their families?  I love my family; they mean the world to me. This pipeline cannot go though, we can’t put hundred of families in danger. I can’t make this decision for you, but I can hope you make the right decision. Th-thank you for your time.

Unemployment can be saved

Setting: Outside the White House talking to protesters, attempting to change their side about the pipeline. She is going to be speaking very professionally and to be proud of what she is saying. Behind her will be the percentage of people unemployed to show why we need extra jobs. Standing in front of a pedestal.

Hello. My name is Betty U. Freeman, and I am an unemployed woman. I live on my own in a one-bedroom apartment in Washington DC, but I can hardy pay the rent. I scramble every month to get the money I need, and I collect pennies as if I’m on a treasure hunt to get a meal. Behind me, is the percentage of people unemployed, I am not alone. Points to the chart behind her. I know one way that I can change this, and that is only if the TransCanada Pipeline gets approved.

If they allow this pipeline then I might have a chance. I could be able to pay my rent and I could be able to have a decent meal every once in a while. There could be more job opportunities, also. There will be twenty thousand jobs open for the United States and the pipeline will create eight billion dollars to the economy. This could help me so much. I’ll move wherever they need me to go. I’ll do whatever they need me to do.

People will say this pipeline isn’t creating enough jobs but it could change not only mines, but also so many other people’s lives. It won’t only help people like me; it will help everybody in the United States by creating energy security. What do we need more of right now, America? We need jobs. We need money. We need to low that unemployed percentage. By creating the TransCanada Pipeline we can. We can have a chance. Please think. Please make the right decision. Thank you for listening and thank you for your time.

Setting: A little girl, Ashley is in her bedroom writing in her diary. While she is writing she is also reading out loud. She is lying down on her bed as she is writing and speaking. She speaks in a scared tone of voice.

Oh diary! Something is going on. Mommy tells me that everything will be okay, but Alexandra is running around, and-and she seems scared. I don’t know much about what is going on. Mommy won’t tell me anything. Alexandra is going behind mommy’s back by telling me things. She hasn’t said much other then the big mean men want to create a Tar Sands Pipeline that will go through our farm and that the men who won Nobel Prizes are writing to Mr. President. I don’t know what a Tar Sand Pipeline or a Nobel Prize is, they both sound fancy.

Alexandra also told me that in the mean men make the pipeline, then-then-then our family is in danger and we might not be able to be together. Crosses out the last sentence, throws diary onto the ground. Tears start to fall because she is so scared. Goes to pick up diary and continues writing and reading what she writes. I-I need to talk to Alexandra. Oh my, I’m so scared. I can’t let the three of us be separated. Mommy, mommy, mommy, these bad guys can’t let this happen to us. They can’t make this pipeline, they can’t risk it to becomes leaky and ruin my life.