In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national spotlight on antisemitism, an persistent concern about public safety, and questions about how such an tragedy could happen. However, as viewed of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.
Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution
Public health specialists have been sounding alarms about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians united and enacted a suite of reforms to curb gun violence across the country. The strategy succeeded. Before 1996, the nation witnessed roughly one mass shooting per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Bondi Attack and the Function of Current Regulations
Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These firearms are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and more cumbersome than the large-magazine, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if more advanced weapons had been available.
Stopping a future Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the facade.
Legislation Showing Weakness
Yet, the terrible consequences of the attack demonstrates that current gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their efficacy. Alarmingly, there are now a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.
We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.
The Path Forward: Proposed Reforms
Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding new firearm legislation. New South Wales specifically will soon introduce a package of reforms to mitigate the collective risk posed by firearms. The national government has proposed a new gun buyback, and there is potential for a countrywide gun database, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal governments.
These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its weakest link. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be avoided with a journey across a border.
Countering Frequent Objections
There is the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, people kill people". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a captain to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been far less damaging if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the firearms they used.
Weighing Necessity and Safety
There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess guns. Farm work 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 gun laws are modernized to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have long been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has taken a toll and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that future generations are equally safe as past generations have been.
A friend remarked after the Bondi events, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but solely due to the fact that the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the final tragedy the nation experiences.
