🔗 Share this article

In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Public health specialists have been issuing warnings about guns for at least a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and implemented a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation experienced roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Function of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in international mass shootings. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been accessible.

Stopping another Bondi demands unity across all states. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the attack demonstrates that existing gun laws are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities owning collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Forward: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales in particular will shortly introduce a package of reforms to reduce the collective risk from firearms. The federal government has announced a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible if the nation acts in unison. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian system – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the weapons they possessed.

Balancing Necessity and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or culling pests in many places is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are updated to better match the society we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the admiration 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 seriously, and make certain that future generations are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.