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Following the tragedy of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. But, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been available.

Stopping a future Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the horrific toll of the attack demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Forward: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a package of measures to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible if the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Common Objections

There is the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.