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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about public safety, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could occur. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are finally having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a suite of measures to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Current Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Road Forward: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a suite of measures to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Common Objections

There is the inevitable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Security

There are valid needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation ever sees.