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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could occur. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the united front.

A System 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, decades have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Ahead: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a suite of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Frequent Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". 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 internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal 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 better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this 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 an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.