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Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting several pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about public safety, and questions about how such an tragedy could occur. However, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the paramount discussion we are finally having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Cautions and a Proven Solution

Public health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and enacted a suite of measures to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been extremely rare major events, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current 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 firearms can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the next round. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi requires unity across all states. And unfortunately, there are already cracks in the united front.

A System Under Strain

Yet, the terrible consequences of the incident demonstrates that existing firearm regulations are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections 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 numerous declarations regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a package of reforms to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, notwithstanding the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are only possible if the nation works together. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Common Objections

We hear the predictable response that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that planes don't transport people, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The horrific violence seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Need and Security

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 indispensable.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to guarantee that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long 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 previously was. It is vital to take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and make certain that future generations are as protected as previous generations have been.

A friend observed after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to maintain its security. As nightmarish as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.