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Following the tragedy of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about how such an event could occur. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Successful Response

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a suite of measures to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced roughly one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the attack demonstrates that current firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in urban areas owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Common Arguments

We hear the inevitable argument 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 virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long 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 take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

A friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.