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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing concern about public safety, and questions about the way such an event could happen. But, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Response

Public health experts have been issuing warnings about firearms for at least a decade. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations 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 firearms 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 quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

Legislation Under Strain

However, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Forward: Proposed Reforms

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding strengthened gun laws. New South Wales specifically will soon enact a package of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is hope for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the complexities of aligning state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are feasible if the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Addressing Frequent Arguments

We hear the predictable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, aviators 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 horrific violence seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to own guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to guarantee that gun laws are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as previous generations have been.

As one friend observed after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.