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In the aftermath of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent worry about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could occur. But, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. 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 one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been available.

Stopping another Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the attack reveals that current gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in urban areas owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Forward: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will soon enact a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Frequent Objections

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed 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 weapons they possessed.

Balancing Need and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to better match the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one commentator remarked 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 collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.