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Following the tragedy of the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple critical conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about national security, and questions about the way such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Proven Response

Health specialists 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 series of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the next round. Although these guns can be fired rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced firearms had been available.

Stopping another Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible consequences of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Forward: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi attack, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will soon introduce a package of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Objections

We hear the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

There are valid needs for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is no longer as safe as it once was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure 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". This is true, but only because 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 experiences.