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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about how such an event could occur. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Response

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the attack reveals that existing firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a suite of measures to mitigate the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

There is the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.