The nation's Firearm Legislation: A Global Example That Must Endure, Particularly After Bondi

Following the tragedy of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is confronting multiple pressing reckonings. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent worry about national security, and inquiries about the way such an event could occur. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are now having centers on firearms.

A Decade of Cautions and a Proven Response

Public 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 came together and implemented a series of measures to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. 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 death toll of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Current Regulations

Amidst the Bondi tragedy, 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 firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns can be fired quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced weapons had been available.

Stopping another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the united front.

Legislation Showing Weakness

However, the horrific consequences of the attack reveals that existing firearm regulations are inadequate. Designed in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, years have worn away their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some citizens in cities reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

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

The Path Ahead: Announced Reforms

In the time after the Bondi tragedy, there have been numerous announcements regarding new gun laws. New South Wales specifically will soon enact a suite of measures to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The federal government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is potential for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

All of this are feasible if the nation works together. As stated, regarding gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian system – regulations in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a short drive across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

There is the predictable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is true in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a captain to transport 500 people overseas without the aircraft. The horrific violence witnessed 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 weapons they used.

Balancing Need and Safety

There are valid reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Managing livestock or controlling vermin 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 indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to ensure that firearm legislation are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy 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 take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are equally safe as past generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because 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.