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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about public safety, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Response

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 reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

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

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Ahead: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will shortly introduce a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The federal government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to own guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the society 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 once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

A commentator remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.