The tragedy that struck Bondi on the 14th of December is one that cannot go unaddressed.
It strikes to the core of all Australians and makes us question how something like this could happen and what needs to be done to prevent it from ever happening again. The proposal to further restrict already restricted access to firearms across the country, however, is simply attacking a symptom and not the cause of the issue.
In this country we have seen that when new bans, new laws, and new restrictions are brought in, law-abiding citizens follow the new directives, whereas the very people and behaviours the laws were intending to stop simply continue. The most recent example is the under-16s social media ban, where Australian teens have since been seen online gloating about how they have circumvented the ban, or have been missed entirely. Though this is a seemingly innocuous example, it is disingenuous to think that those in this country who are willing to break our much more serious laws in relation to murder and the harm of others would dare not break new restrictions regarding what they can use to enact their harm, hate, and terror.
If a person is determined to harm another, they will use whatever is at their disposal whether that be a firearm or not. The restriction of tools and equipment that are relied on by our farmers and feral pest controllers or enjoyed in competition by families right across Flinders only further penalises those that are already law-abiding, those who are already determined to be a “fit and proper person” under current legislation.
Decent Australians pay the price for poorly thought through laws.
Decent Australians do not plan massacres.
Decent Australians do not attempt to harm or kill others based on their religion, ethnicity, or political persuasion.
Decent Australians do not harbour hate in their heart for others based on those factors either.
The issue at the core of the Bondi Massacre is not what tools were used to enact the terror and what items decent Australians should or should not have access to. The core of the issue is why we as a country allowed the dangerous ideology that fed the radical attack to fester
and survive.
Regardless of its foundation, any ideology that calls for the eradication, death, or harm of any people should never be tolerated in this country.
The Bondi Massacre is the result of years of weak leadership, allowing those with extreme views to feel comfortable enough to enact their hideous plans. That is what needs to be addressed.
We, the Australian population, create the culture we live in; we do this by what we tolerate, how we communicate, and who we elect. If we want a culture that does not foster violence, we cannot tolerate calls to violence.
If we want a culture of unity and understanding, we need to talk to each other openly and freely about our beliefs regardless of how uncomfortable it may be. If we want a culture of strong values, where the people of this country are free and protected, we need to elect those who are willing to stand up for those values and not those who pander and capitulate to the loudest voices.
The answer is not more laws and restrictions, but a united people and stronger leaders.
Dylan Cowley, Nationals candidate for Flinders, Port Lincoln
