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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and questions about how such an tragedy could occur. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly 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.

Stopping a future Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will soon introduce a suite of measures to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Frequent Objections

There is the predictable response 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, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Necessity and Security

There are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.