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Following the tragedy of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could happen. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Response

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved 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, requiring a manual operation to chamber the next round. Although 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 mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

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

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will soon 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 potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding firearm laws, 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 avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the inevitable response 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 quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places 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 firearm legislation are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and make certain that future generations are equally safe as previous generations have been.

A commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "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 an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.