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Following the tragedy of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical reckonings. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent concern about public safety, and inquiries about how such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are finally having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the attack demonstrates that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

The nation has grown complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a suite of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Addressing Frequent Arguments

There is the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

A commentator remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.