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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent concern about national security, and inquiries about how such an tragedy could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Response

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in overseas attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different weapons had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the united front.

A System Showing Weakness

Yet, the horrific consequences of the incident reveals that existing firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Ahead: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Arguments

There is the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, 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 all but impossible without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Farm work or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation 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 vital to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.