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Following the tragedy of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an event could occur. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and implemented a suite of measures to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the attack demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

The nation has grown complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Forward: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will soon enact a suite of measures to reduce the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a border.

Countering Frequent Arguments

There is the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated 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 taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe 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 friend observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.