That's a good one, I had to look it up. "Fifty miles" is considered a singular unit of distance (made up of a more than one mile). In the same way, "human rights" is considered a singular unit "issue" (made up of more than one right). Then I found the rule that explains it: "Expressions of time, money, and distance are singular." Examples: Three hours is the time needed to complete this test. Traveling fifty thousand miles is a long time to spend in an airplane. Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money to spend on an education.

Tom: I am driving to the town of X next week. Mona: Why? Tom: There is a good barber there. Mona: Fifty miles IS a long way to drive just to get a haircut, isn't it? Tom: Yes, it is. But he is a very good barber. Mona: Isn't it hard to drive 50 miles in your old car? Tom: Well, the FIRST 30 miles ARE very difficult because the road winds around the mountains, but the LAST 20 miles ARE easy because the road crosses a smooth valley. ***** Fifty miles IS a long way to drive in order to get a haircut. = You are thinking of a unit of distance. The first 30 miles ARE very difficult = You are thinking about the individual miles.

We use 'is' because we are talking about 50 miles as one amount, not the separate miles. Naveen is correct when likening it to hair.

In the same way when we say: my hair is black.....not my hair are black..... though they are plural in nos...