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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 how such an event could occur. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are finally having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Response

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a series of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident 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.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

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

A System Under Strain

Yet, the horrific consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Ahead: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. New South Wales specifically will shortly enact 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, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are only possible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Frequent Arguments

We hear the predictable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible 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 significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but time and distance 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 make certain that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.