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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and questions about how such an tragedy could occur. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting 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.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Existing Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the next round. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Preventing a future Bondi demands national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already fissures in the united front.

A System Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Forward: Proposed Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Addressing Common Arguments

We hear the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Security

There are valid needs for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms 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 updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long 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 vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and make certain that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend 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 maintain its security. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.