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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. There is a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an event could happen. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of measures to curb 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 major events, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Preventing a future Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident reveals that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Ahead: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will soon enact a package of measures to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible provided that the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to gun control, 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 short drive across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

There is the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.