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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Current Regulations

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the horrific toll of the attack reveals that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Ahead: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will soon enact a suite of measures to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the inevitable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws 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 take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked 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.