Time and Distance Overcome

Time and Distance Overcome

At the start of the essay Time and Distance overcome by Eula Biss I expected merely a historical recounting of the historical background of the telephone poles. Although it did not take long to realize the telephone poles had a much deeper meaning. Bell; invented the telephone poles in hopes to unite everyone, which destroyed the space between family and friends keeping them in contact. Instead, it did the complete opposite. The essay portrays humans unwillingness to embrace change, and instead fight it, fueling cruelty. Chaos struck raising war between telephone companies and land owners. Land owners fought and fought because the “sky was filled with wires” and they don’t like the way the wires look on their private property. This was only the beginning. Once the telephone poles were installed despite all the uproar from private landowners the people used the poles for another war during this time. The Race War. The poles were used for lynching. An invention that was supposed to bring people together was used violently taking so many innocent lives. Innocent until proven guilty, right? No matter the color of your skin, everyone deserves that. Although in this time, so many people lost their lives for falsely accused crimes. Time and Distance overcome brings forth the evil many of us did not see in telephone poles as in our time they give us an efficient way to communicate with numerous people. Although it is such an eye opener as nothing is just ordinary or innocent. Thats why we have to remember as the world changes around us, we have to embrace change for the better and never fight it.

#Response

Julia DePaolo