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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several pressing reckonings. We are seeing a long-overdue national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent concern about national security, and questions about the way such an tragedy could occur. However, as viewed of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade 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 suite of reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed roughly 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.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. Reports indicate the alleged attackers possessed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with lethal results, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles frequently used in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been available.

Preventing a future Bondi requires national cohesion. And unfortunately, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that existing gun laws are failing. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have worn away their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are now more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

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

The Path Ahead: Announced Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been numerous declarations regarding strengthened gun laws. The state of NSW in particular will shortly introduce a package of reforms to mitigate the public danger from firearms. The national government has proposed a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are only possible provided that the nation works together. As noted, regarding gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – regulations in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Common Arguments

We hear the inevitable argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Certainly, aircraft require operators, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to transport 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be extremely difficult without guns, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Balancing Need and Safety

It is acknowledged there are valid needs for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in rural areas is incredibly hard without them. A total ban of firearms from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to better match 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 take the lessons of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend observed 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. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.