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Following the tragedy of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several critical reckonings. We are seeing a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. But, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Response

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and implemented a suite of measures to reduce gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Current Regulations

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles 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. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different firearms had been accessible.

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

A System Showing Weakness

However, the terrible consequences of the attack reveals that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Road Ahead: Announced Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will shortly enact a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Common Arguments

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Weighing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi to heart, and make certain that future generations are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.