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Following the tragedy of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical reckonings. There is a long-overdue national spotlight on antisemitism, an ongoing concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. However, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and enacted a suite of measures to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation experienced approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few major events, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were partially effective. 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 manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the united front.

Legislation Under Strain

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Ahead: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding strengthened firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a suite of measures to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the inherent challenges of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As stated, regarding gun control, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a short drive across a state line.

Countering Frequent Arguments

We hear the inevitable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they possessed.

Weighing Necessity and Security

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to own guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's laws have historically been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it once was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

As one commentator 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 collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation ever sees.