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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical conversations. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about how such an event could occur. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Health specialists have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. And it worked. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a manual operation to ready the next round. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been available.

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

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Ahead: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian system – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration 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 take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A commentator remarked 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 attack was, there is an aspiration that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.