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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several pressing reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about public safety, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could occur. But, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Response

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation 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 high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the united front.

A System Under Strain

However, the horrific toll of the incident reveals that current gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Path Forward: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW specifically will soon introduce a suite of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as 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 short drive across a border.

Addressing Frequent Objections

There is the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, 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 firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Security

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 certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.