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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Response

Health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the next round. Although these guns can be fired quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the large-magazine, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been accessible.

Preventing a future Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the united front.

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some citizens in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous declarations regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will shortly enact a package of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

We hear the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

There are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws 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 taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.