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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an ongoing worry about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Successful Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians united and enacted a series of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Role of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi tragedy, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been accessible.

Stopping a future Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the facade.

A System Under Strain

However, the terrible consequences of the attack demonstrates that current firearm regulations are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Road Ahead: Proposed Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple announcements regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a suite of reforms to reduce the public danger from firearms. The federal government has announced a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible provided that the nation works together. As noted, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Addressing Common Arguments

There is the inevitable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work or controlling vermin in rural areas is extremely difficult without them. A total ban of guns from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has done its work 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 remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation ever sees.