Moammar Gadhafi is dead, but the fight has just begun.
The former Libyan strongman was found and killed in his hometown of Sirte on Thursday afternoon. If the rebel sacking of the capitol city of Tripoli represented the actual transfer of power, the death of Gadhafi and the takeover of his last stronghold was a symbolic victory, ridding Libya of the stench of 40 years of tyrannical rule, ushering in a new era of democracy.
But if the past is any indication, these landmark events are only the launching pad from which real progress is made.
Over the past decade, several despots who had been in rule for years were put out of power or killed. Saddam Hussein, Hosni Mubarak and Osama bin Laden, to name a few. And while the deaths of these leaders have provided fleeting relief and hope for a prosperous future, the road to prosperity is rocky.
Iraq is still occupied by American forces, Afghanistan is still a hotbed for violence where basic human rights are often breached and Egypt isn’t even close to finding its democratic footing. Although Hussein, Mubarak and bin Laden are out of power, these nations struggle greatly as democracies.
This is not to say that Gadhafi’s death does not bring a sense of closure to Libyan rebels and the global community. Much like the death of bin Laden earlier this year — a man who, like Gadhafi, was out of power at the time of his death — it should be a comfort that a person who so mercilessly mistreated innocent human beings is no longer breathing.
Remember the scenes from the night of bin Laden’s death: united cheer at Citizens Bank Ballpark, dancing in the streets at Ground Zero and outside the White House, the rally that took place right here at Binghamton University. While many question the celebratory tactics Americans took after bin Laden’s death, it provided us with closure and Gadhafi’s death only brings it in a more intensified way to the Libyan population.
Think of revolution like losing weight. While shedding pounds is tough, maintaining your figure is just as difficult, if not a harder task. The Libyan rebels sacked Tripoli and killed Gadhafi, shedding their weight. Now they must work toward cultivating institutions and maintaining democracy.
Libya’s provisional government must have a firm handle on the reality that establishing democracy is a long, arduous process. It also must ask of its citizens and allies on the world stage to exhibit patience and provide support as Libya attempts to avoid the same traps into which other young democracies have fallen.