Throughout history, humans evolved and changed and with each new chapter of humanity, there has been a fight. Radicals always pushed against oppressors to change their lives enduring the consequences. For example, Henry David Thoreau was imprisoned for his refusal to pay taxes because he disagreed with the Spanish-American War and America’s history of slavery. After his imprisonment, he wrote “Civil Disobedience" which defined the meaning of acting against the government and creating change by breaking unjust laws. Through this essay, he inspired multiple works of media including How to Blow up a Pipeline, a sensational movie that won multiple awards for its display of modern civil disobedience. People will rebel against anything that goes against their beliefs and this movement started long ago, and there is no chance it will stop in our society today. 

Civil disobedience is a great thing and modern retellings of how we as citizens can create change is so vital and inspirational because it allows people to realize they are the ones who can make a difference. In the book version of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, author Andreas Malm explains the hypothetical ideas of acting against the government for environmental change, hypothetical social disobedience. But the movie version written and directed by Daniel Goldhaber elevated these ideas and created a story that showed what would happen if environmentalists decided to take a radical stand against the large corporations that are suppressing them, active civil disobedience. The act of blowing up the pipeline would not greatly affect the oil companies, but it was never about who it hurts, it was about the message. The harsh actions forced a spotlight upon the large corporations and the government was allowing these awful oil companies to destroy free land. As Thoreau said, “I think it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize. What makes this duty the more urgent is the fact that the country is so overrun is not our own, but ours is the invading army.” American companies and workers are the ones destroying the land everyone lives on, our people are the ‘enemy’ and we are the only ones who can do anything to stop them. 

It leads to the question of whether these acts were justified. Yes, they were, these characters were suffering at the blood-soaked hands of oil companies and so they decided it was enough. Xochitl, one of the main organizers of the crime, lost her mother to the stifling heat caused by global warming, she says, “Let those who profit from mass death know their properties will be trashed. They will defame us and claim this was violence or vandalism, but this was justified. This was an act of self-defense.” Xochitl stood up for the earth because this was her civil duty. By allowing herself to be arrested for her acts she proves she’s a noble citizen because she stood up for our land and then paid the price of the acts. She was inspiring, by standing up for her beliefs she started a movement of environmentalists making those who were killing the earth endure consequences, Xochitl broke societal values. “Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine”(Thoreau). Her actions prove people will make noise, they will not take things lying down and her bravery likely created questions about what others were doing for the environment. Her actions started many issues, she created change in her society and that is exactly what civil disobedience is about. Blowing up the pipeline lost Xochitl her freedom, but she gained the people's favor and started the ocean of movements against the oil companies. She was an uplifting figure, and that is what civilians needed. Civil disobedience originally was about taxes and other smaller laws but it has grown into civil rights, political, and environmental movements. The actions of others create and build inspiration for the people living under oppressors like the oil companies or a government forcing tax for a horrible cause(the Spanish-American War). Hope that change can happen puts the power back into the hands of civilians. The movie and Thoreau make the comparison to Christ and his actions: “Jesus was a Terrorist!” said a character in the Goldhaber film. By using a notable and inspirational figure they create strong reasonable arguments that they acted for the betterment of the people. I believe that civil disobedience is a human right; it’s necessary if we as a society ever want to progress because if we never change, our planet will crumble under our weight. The work of Goldhaber and Thoreau creates movements, that create change for the better.

Civil disobedience will never disappear and people will continuously rebel for what we believe is right. We should continue to spread the words and messages of Thoreau and Goldhaber so we can see what happens when one of us finally isn't scared to start the movement for change. Thoreau and Goldhaber will continue to inspire people and force change upon their society and it's a guarantee. Everyone finds something to be unhappy about and their words allow action for the betterment of our society.