Out of sight, out of mind.

I have been in Libya for a month now and as far as I can tell, the vast majority of physical traces of Gaddafi's regime are gone. All the pictures that once plastered the country have now been removed and of course his fortress Bab AlAzizya crushed. Gaddafi is irrelevant here. Its so refreshing that there is a consensus amongst everyone to move forward and think only of the future. Very rarely do I hear people even discussing him. Conversations are filled with debates about the new governments composition or what the new Libya requires to thrive. No better way to put something behind you then to put it out of sight, thus making it out of mind. That is just what Libyans have done here with any remaining traces of Gaddafi.

Drive behind any car in Libya and you'll find one of two things: a license plate completely missing (which bothers me but I'll leave that for another post) or a license plate that has the words ''Jamahariya'' blacked out.

It may seem insignificant to everyone outside of Libya, but this small 4inch by 2 inch word on the back of their licenses plates ''gots to go.'' Libyans, ever creative, have done a few things to cover up the   phrase of the former regime. Most widely used is the spray paint like above, others have used stickers with the independence flag.

The third variation is one that I dont really understand. Apparently (accuracy may be debated but multiple sources have told me) some go to Tunisia or other places and have plates made that just say ''Libya.'' 

 As far as I understand, I may be wrong, but they aren't government issued. Its not that big of a deal as license plates aren't really important in Libya. Half the cars dont even have them and its not like they collect an annual registration fee for a decal. This will segway into a bigger conversation Im not having but the defaced license plates serve, at least for me, as a lasting sign of rebellion.