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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about public safety, and inquiries about how such an event could happen. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and enacted a series of measures to reduce gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Forward: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened gun laws. New South Wales specifically will shortly enact a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Common Objections

We hear the predictable argument that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, 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 all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

A commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.