Letters to the Editor: Both legislation and education are needed to address gun violence
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- A multifaceted approach combining stricter gun control, antisemitism education and law enforcement coordination is essential to prevent mass shootings like Bondi Beach.
- Despite Australia’s stringent gun laws, an estimated 260,000 illegal firearms remain in circulation, revealing significant enforcement gaps in existing regulations.
- Better inter-agency coordination and a registry for those investigated for potential terrorist threats could help identify dangers before attacks occur.
To the editor: In a letter to the editor, Martin Cooper of Encino asserted that Australian leaders “don’t get it” in regards to the Bondi Beach shooting during a Hanukkah celebration that took 15 lives (“Letters to the Editor: Australia’s problem isn’t gun laws. It’s antisemitism,” Dec. 18). Cooper says the problem is antisemitism, not gun control laws, as if the tragedy lends itself to a simplistic, one-off solution to prevent future attacks. He calls for increased education rather than stricter gun laws.
Why not both? Why not a multifaceted strategy?
Yes to even more restrictive gun control laws. Though Australia has long been considered the gold standard for gun ownership laws, an estimated 260,000 illegal weapons were still in circulation in Australia in 2022. According to the Australia Institute, there are more than 4 million legally owned firearms in the country.
Yes to more education to reduce antisemitism. In addition to the already existing programs that include Holocaust education, grassroots initiatives run by nonprofits and university curricula, the Australian government recently announced a new taskforce to help the education system combat antisemitism.
Yes to more legislation aimed at eliminating hate speech and punishing those who engage in such behavior.
Yes to better coordination among agencies to track potential threats. One of the alleged gunmen was reportedly examined for six months for possible ties to an Islamic State terrorist cell. Though the assessment apparently found no indication of a threat of him engaging in violence, shouldn’t there still be a registry of those who were subject to investigations?
It’s naive to think the only answer is more education. This problem is too complicated for a one-issue solution.
Teresa DeCrescenzo, Studio City
