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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could occur. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Stopping a future Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the horrific consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Forward: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will soon enact a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible provided that the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Addressing Common Objections

There is the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen 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 weapons they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is incredibly hard without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to better match the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy 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 to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as previous generations have been.

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