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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. We are seeing a long-overdue national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about public safety, and questions about how such an event could occur. However, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Attack and the Role of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, requiring a manual operation to chamber the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the horrific consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Forward: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will soon introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible if the nation works together. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Frequent Objections

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". 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 captain to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the admiration of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, 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". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.