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Following the tragedy of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. But, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed 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 subsequent shot. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the incident reveals that current gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown overconfident and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will soon enact a package of reforms to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Countering Frequent Arguments

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 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 alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to better match the world 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 previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend observed after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, 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 an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.