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In the aftermath of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple critical reckonings. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Response

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 enacted a series of measures to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the united front.

A System Under Strain

However, the horrific toll of the attack demonstrates that existing gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

We have been overconfident 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. The state of NSW specifically will soon introduce a package of measures to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible if the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Addressing Frequent Objections

There is the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had not had access to the weapons they used.

Weighing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid reasons for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the society 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 no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that future generations are equally safe as previous generations have been.

A friend 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 incident was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation experiences.