The Syrian Protests and American Intervention

The Syrian Protests and American Intervention It is now over one year since the Syrian protests, which kicked off in Dara’a, a small agricultural town in the country, begun. The Syrian police met the small uprising, which brought together a handful of people, with ruthlessness and brutality beyond the expectations of many people, thereby inciting more people to join the course.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Syrian Protests and American Intervention specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today, barely all towns in the country have experienced violent protests against the long reigning president Bashar Assad and his family. According to the United Nation’s estimates, approximately 9000 people, most of them soldiers, have died in the violence that has continued to rock most parts of the country[1]. However, human rights groups and journalist put the estimates much higher at 30, 000 people by October 2012. They claim that government’s e fforts at hiding the real happenings in the country have led to a serious clamp down on any forms of journalistic access, thereby denying the international community any chance of getting up-to-date information on deaths, property destruction, and atrocities against women and the minority. As a result, the international community has treated Syrian case slightly to the disadvantage of the country’s innocent citizens, especially women and children who are subjected to heinous acts such as rape, torture, and forced labor. Therefore, Mr. President, if your government is to make any decisions based on the recommendations provided in this letter, I will be glad if you considered the possibility of worse things happening in Syrian beyond the grainy streaming media footages who may have watched, as they do not capture even half of what is happening on the ground. As a nation founded on sound democratic principles and respect for human life and dignity, we have been drawn into this m ess by our desire to give to the people of Syria, a democratic government, and an environment free from abuse, violence, and intimidations. So far, our attempts to institute a democratic government in Syrian and to end the suffering of the people have been futile. Worst still, the rebels who have been fighting the government are ill-equipped to make any significant process towards toppling the government[2]. Their activities have remained limited to Damascus. This calls for drastic measures. Our ultimate goals in Syria are driven by both morals and concerns for the suffering civilians. We need to defend the civilians against military abuse.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More We need to assist in the creation of a democratically elected government that is representative of the people’s wishes. However, the process of instituting a democratic governm ent can never be easy. In most cases, it involves war and sanctions against doctorial regimes. Nevertheless, the Syrian people have spoken boldly of their desire for change, which makes any options available, regardless of the costs involved, worth pursuing. Additionally, we need to prevent Syria’s situation from dragging it into a failed and war-ridden state like Somalia. If this trend continues unchecked, then the nation could end up in a situation like that of Somalia. Finally yet importantly, we should strive to ensure that the country’s chemical weapons do not end up in the hands of extremist Islamic groups who are known for â€Å"terrorist activities† in the world today[3]. The United States of America suffered severely in the hands of terrorists and should not spare any efforts in fighting them.[4] The 9/11 attack has and will remain in the minds of many people who lost their loved ones for many years to come. In that single attack, the U.S lost millions of dollars and thousands of lives.[5] Given the circumstances surrounding the Syrian case, American intervention is in complete interest of the nation and its citizens. The U.S government’s principal interest is to protect its citizens. However, protecting Americans, does not only involve securing the country’s borders, but also toppling all governments that are sympathetic to terrorists and regimes that promote the use of chemicals and illegal atomic weapons. Bashar Assad’s government trades in these unfriendly territories and the U.S government should not sit back and watch from the sidelines as it furthers its monstrous activities. The people of Syria have a right to determine their own future since the country is a sovereign state[6]. However, its leadership has ignored the people’s plea for regime change, thereby necessitating external intervention. The U.S is perceived by many states as the international watchdog. Therefore, it should take a center stage in securing a solution for Syria’s problems. However, our intervention in Syria should be wise and well calculated. Considering Bashar Assad’s close association with the Iran and Russian regimes, any form of military intervention could worsen the bad situation[7]. The most viable option is the involvement of the UN Security Council to give a mandate on the issue. Our direct involvement should be through the provision of troops to secure civilian population from harm.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Syrian Protests and American Intervention specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though most Arab Nations are reluctant to join the Syrian debate, the U.S should try to reach out to them to seek their support in rescuing innocent civilians. The rebels fighting Bashar Assad’s government share many common interests with the United States. As such, the U.S should provide them with logis tics to enhance their chances of overthrowing the dictatorial regime. Currently, they are ill equipped and lack experience of fighting; hence, their chances of success are thin. The decisions we make today define us as a nation. The freedom our citizens enjoy today was earned by both sweet and blood. Therefore, by assisting the people of Syria, we are showing them away to a better life. By actively championing for a regime change in Syria, we will obviously be attracting more responsibilities to our great nation, but we cannot afford to sit back and watch innocent people die in the hands of merciless and selfish leaders. The minority and the weak always look up to us for help in such times, and we cannot afford to disappoint them. Our failure to intervene will be viewed as a sign of weakness, which might encourage other regimes to cling onto power against public will. After the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the U.S. relationship with the Muslim world has not been good[8]. Therefor e, many of the Muslim states cannot welcome any form of intervention in Syria. Even though military intervention can absolutely spark wide opposition, many, especially civilians, could view humanitarian aid and provision of logistics as pure and sincere assistance. Our involvement in Syria should only end when the country has attained democratic leadership. Military personnel deployed to help civilians should however, stay behind for some time to assist in the transition process. Up to now, the atrocities committed against civilians in Syrian are intolerable, but the U.S must trade carefully. However, if death toll from the uprisings continue to rise and other nations, especially Muslim nations, keep their distance, then, the U.S may be left no other choice but to intervene with a fully-fledge military battalion. This could be more involving and costly, but worth the lives of innocent Syrians used as punching bags by government soldiers and rebels. Disregard for human lives by the S yrian government will leave us no options, but to pull together our resources, monetary, logistics, and personnel, to rescue the civilians. When it comes to such a level, the Security Council’s decisions will be of little effect to the U.S intervention in Syria. The cost of the war in Iraq has been expensive and we must avoid adding further expenses to our already burdened public. However, when it comes to saving lives, our options are limited.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bowen, Jeremy. BBC News Syria rebels gain foothold in Damascus. BBC Homepage. N.p., 28 Jan. 2012. Web. Breakingnews.com. Syrian Violence Kills 36; Arab Leaders Back Peace Plan. VOA Voice of America English News VOA News. N.p., 28 Mar. 2012. Web. Celmer, Marc A.. Terrorism, U.S. strategy, and Reagan policies. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987. Print. Davies, Nicolas J.S.. Blood on our hands: the American invasion and destruction of Iraq. Version 1.0. ed. Ann Arbor: Nimble Books, LLC, 2010. Print. Goodarzi, Jubin M.. Syria and Iran: diplomatic alliance and power politics in the Middle East. London: Tauris Academic Studies, 2006. Print. Madu, Ifeanyi V.. Islamic Extremism and the West: Expounding the Negative Implications of the Clash Between Islamic Extremists and Some Western Nations. London: ProQuest, 2008. Print. Quigley, John B.. The statehood of Palestine: international law in the Middle East conflict. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Sidhu, Surinder Singh. 9/11: The Inside Story. Washington, DC: Strategic Book Publishing, 2012. Print. Footnotes Breakingnews.com. Syrian Violence Kills 36; Arab Leaders Back Peace Plan.  VOA Voice of America English News VOA News. N.p., 28 Mar. 2012. Web. Bowen, Jeremy. BBC News Syria rebels gain foothold in Damascus.BBC Homepage. N.p., 28 Jan. 2012. Web. Ifeanyi Madu,  Islamic Extremism and the West: Expounding the Negative Implications of the Clash Between Islamic Extremists and Some Western Nations (London: ProQuest, 2008) 105. Celmer, Marc, Terrorism, U.S. strategy, and Reagan policies. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987. P. 47 Print. Surinder Singh Sidhu,   9/11: The Inside Story (Washington, DC: Strategic Book Publishing, 2012) 29. John B. Quigley,  The statehood of Palestine: international law in the Middle East conflict (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010) 45. Jubin M. Goodarzi,  Syria and Iran: diplomatic alliance and power politics in the Middle East, (London: Tauris Academ ic Studies, 2006) 11. Nicolas J.S. Davies,  Blood on our hands: the American invasion and destruction of Iraq (Version 1.0. ed. Ann Arbor: Nimble Books, LLC, 2010) 32.

How Many People Get a 34, 35, 36 on the ACT Score Breakdown

How Many People Get a 34, 35, 36 on the ACT Score Breakdown SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We know that 36 is the best possible score on the ACT and that any score in the 30s is considered very good. But how good is a top score of 34, 35, or 36? And how many students earn these scores every year? In this post, we break down just how rare those top scores are and how many students get them each year. Learn how you can stand out in the application process with a top score- and how to raise your ACT score to get there. How Many Test Takers Get Top 1% ACT Scores? To do this analysis, we use the latest report from ACT, Inc., for the class of 2018, who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, and seniors. If you want to read more ACT score statistics,you can check out the report yourself. In the class of 2018, 1,914,817 students took the ACT.The average composite score was 20.8 out of 36(for more onhow the ACT is scored,read our article). This means that a score of 21 or higher puts you above average. But if we consider 21 and up good scores (since they’re above average), what would qualify as an amazing score? To find out, let's look at ACT percentiles- the rankings tied to composite scores. For example, a 90thpercentile score means you scored higher than 90% of test takers. On the ACT, 34 and up is the 99th percentile. So if you score 34 or higher, you’re in the top 1% of test takers! But exactly how many students earned a 33, 34, 35, or 36 in 2018? And which score is the rarest? Let's take a look: Score # of Students Percentage of All Test Takers 36 3,741 0.195% 35 14,928 0.780% 34 21,836 1.140% 33 26,930 1.406% Source:ACT.org Unsurprisingly, a perfect 36 is the rarest score of all- just 0.195% of all test takers earned a perfect ACT score. Roughly four times more students earned the next-highest score of 35. However, it’s still a very rare score that just 0.780% of test takers earned. Note that about six times more students earned a 34 than they did a 36. You can now see why 36 is so impressive- even among top scorers, such a score really sets students apart, particularly for the most competitive schools. How Many Test Takers Get Top 10% ACT Scores? From our article on ACT percentiles, you can learn that getting a 29 or higher means you are in the top 10% of scorers. So if 22 and up is good, and 33 and up is incredible, a score of 29 or higher would qualify as a great score. The breakdowns for ACT scores between 29 and 32 are as follows: Score # of Students Percentile 32 31,625 98 31 37,150 97 30 43,824 94 29 47,187 91 Source: ACT.org Note that, just like with the very top scores, the higher your ACT score gets, the rarer it is.You can probably see why raising your ACT score by just a few points can have such a big impact on your admission chances! Because admissions is all about comparing you with other applicants, the more unique you can make yourself, the better your chances of getting in will be. And the higher your ACT score is, the rarer it is! By How Much Should You Improve Your ACT Score? We know just how impressive top 10% ACT scores are, and how rare top 1% scores are. But what kind of score should you aim for? Should everyone go for a 36? By far the best way to figure out what ACT score to shoot for is to consider the average scores of admitted applicants to the schools you're applying to.Do this, and you'll be able to see exactly how high of an ACT score you'll need to get to help you stand apart from the crowd. Check out our in-depth guide for more tips on how to set an ACT goal score. That said, there are some general guidelines you should follow. Of course, you can always aim for perfection, but these goals are manageable and give all students a competitive ACT score. Here's what we recommend: If you have a score in the teens,work to get your score to at least 22. This will put you in the top half of test takers and really give a boost to your college applications. If you have a score in the low to mid-20s (22-27), although you're above average, retake the ACT and try to get 29.Getting to the top 10% of scorers canopen up a lot of scholarship opportunities. It'll also make your college applications that much more impressive, opening doors at selective colleges. If you have 29 or higher, raising your score by even just 2 or 3 points can give a huge boost to your percentile ranking. For example, going from just 29 to 31 takes you from the 91st to the 97thpercentile. Likewise, going from 30 to 33 takes you from the 94th to the 99th percentile- or from the top 6% to the top 1% of test takers! Once you get to 33 and up, you're inIvy League and competitive college territory.Again, a gain of just a few points on the ACT can make a big difference in your admission chances! But how feasible are these score increases? The truth is, it’s definitely possible to raise your ACT composite, as long as you study regularly and focus on your weak areas.Do this, and you could very well go from 17 to 25, 20 to 28, or even 25 to 35. For example, say you really struggled with plane geometry on your first round of the ACT and didn’t get any of these questions correct. Since plane geometry accounts for around 20% of all math problems, it has a big impact on your score. Don't let these types of questions keep you from getting a high score! (You can take official ACT practice testsif you want to see the kinds of questions the ACT asks, by the way.) Now, imagine your Math score was 23. If you work on plane geometry to fill in your content gap, even if you got just five more questions right, you could get a final Math score of 26. If you get all the plane geometry questions right this time and everything else stays the same, you could get a 28 on ACT Math! This says nothing of how your score could improve if you work on other content weaknesses, your pacing, and your test-taking strategies, too. If you can identify your weaknesses and work on fixing them, it’s not hard at all to improve your ACT composite score by several points! 4 Tips for Raising Your ACT Score Since you now have a clear idea as to the number of points you need in order to reach your ACT goal score, let's go over some helpful tips to help you raise your score. #1: Focus On Your Weaknesses As we discussed briefly above, focusing on your biggest content weaknesses and skills should be one of your top priorities as you prep for the ACT. To fix your weak points, you'll need to do the following: Attack more practice problems in your areas of weakness. Having ample quality materials with which to practice will give you more opportunities to hone your skills. Devote more time to your weak spots than you do to the skills and question types you're already comfortable with. This way you won't waste time going over the concepts you already know. Analyze your mistakesas well as any patterns in your mistakes. One good way to do this is to keep an errors journal in which you note all the errors you made on practice questions, what the right answers were, and how you were supposed to solve them. Do all of this and you'll not only figure out what you're weak in but also how you can shift your approach toward these types of ACT problems to help you score more points. #2: Practice Pacing Yourself Don't expect to raise your score if you don't know how to properly pace yourself. Learning how to use your time wisely is a major part of doing well on the ACT. As you likely already know, each section is timed differently; thus, the time you'll get per question willvary depending on the section. Here is an overview of the time you'll have per section and per question on the ACT: Section # of Questions Time per Section Time per Question English 75 45 minutes 36 seconds Math 60 60 minutes 60 seconds Reading 40 35 minutes 52.5 seconds Science 40 35 minutes 52.5 seconds Writing (Optional) 1 essay 40 minutes 40 minutes You'll have the longest amount of time per question on the Math section, and the shortest amount of time per question on the English section. Typically, you don't want to spend more than this average time per question on any one question. However, if you're not aiming for a perfect score, you should be able to guess on at least a few questions in each section without it heavily affecting your score. #3: Learn Key Test-Taking Strategies There are tons of strategies you should know before you take the ACT. These tips teach you things such as the following: How to approach and understand questions fast How to effectively use the information you're given How to guess on a question to give yourself the best chance of getting it right Our guide to the top ACT test-taking strategies goes over some of the most helpful tips to know for test day. Briefly, though, here are a few of the most important ones: How to use the process of elimination When to plug in answers and plug in numbers on Math problems How to read passages on Reading, English, and Science #4: Take Full-Length Practice Tests If you're not taking full-length ACT practice tests, get to it. ACT, Inc., offers five free practice tests you can download as PDFs.I suggest sticking mainly with official tests as these are guaranteedto give you a highly realistic test-taking experience. What's more, they're all free! In terms of prep, try to space out your practice tests throughout your ACT study plan. Take one at the beginning of your study schedule to get your baseline score (the score you start with before engaging in any prep), and then take the others intermittently throughout your study plan. You'll essentiallyuse practice tests to determine your weaknesses and strengths. Make sure to take each test in a quiet room to give you a realistic experience. Also, time yourself in accordance with the official ACT time limits described above; doing this will raise your stamina so that you don't run out of energy on the actual test! What’s Next? Learn more about how the ACT is scored so you can develop target raw scores for whatever your scoring goal is. Want to get a perfect score yourself? Get tips from our ACT 36 full scorer on studying.Even if you're not aiming for a perfect 36, this article will give you the skills you need to raise your score. Read more about the highest possible ACT score of 36 and just how rare it is. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.