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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could happen. However, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a series of reforms to reduce gun violence across the country. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. New South Wales in particular will soon introduce a package of measures to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Addressing Common Objections

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, 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 far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

There are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin 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.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are updated 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 take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and make certain that coming Australians are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation ever sees.