The nation's Firearm Laws: A Global Model That Must Persist, Particularly After Bondi

Following the tragedy of the awful incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. We are seeing a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an event could happen. But, as viewed of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are now having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Proven 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 enacted a series of measures to reduce gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Existing Laws

Amidst the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in overseas mass shootings. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Stopping a future Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already fissures in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the terrible toll of the incident reveals that existing gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Ahead: Announced Changes

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple declarations regarding new firearm legislation. The state of NSW in particular will shortly enact a suite of measures to reduce the public danger from firearms. The national government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal governments.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As stated, regarding firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a journey across a state line.

Countering Common Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is true in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they used.

Balancing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are essential tools.

What we can do – the imperative action – is to ensure 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 once was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi events, "such tragedies just don't happen here". This is true, but solely due to the fact that the country has collectively worked to maintain its security. However horrific as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation ever sees.