The Norwegian shootings have prompted many people to think about gun control. But are guns the root of the problem?

Instead of jumping to the obvious solution by further restricting the use of firearms, perhaps the attitudes, beliefs and mental states of those that commit these atrocities should be examined?

Gun regulations were once a controversial issue in Australia. In response to the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, then Prime Minister John Howard created a national agreement on firearms.  The decision was hotly debated at the time, with many gun owners arguing the agreement would prevent them from owning a gun or pursuing their hobbies.

The legislation introduced tighter regulations on firearm registration and storage, as well as banning the possession of automatic and semi-automatic guns (with exceptions made for primary producers, professional vermin exterminators, and a limited class of clay target firearm users).

In scenes reminiscent of Port Arthur all those years ago, the world looked on in horror as a gunman coldheartedly killed 77 people in Norway. The killings left the international community shocked, especially considering Norway’s firearm regulations have often been described as some of the strictest in the world.

The gunman, Anders Behring Breivik, was able to purchase a semi-automatic pistol and rifle through legal avenues, while obeying the provisions set up by the Norwegian government.

It’s concerning to discover that firearm regulations in Norway are similar to what we have in Australia.

There is no doubt that harsher gun laws were required at the time of the Port Arthur massacre  as there were very little firearm restrictions in place. Now in the wake of the tragedy in Norway the Australian government must make a decision on whether it should be even more difficult to purchase firearms in Australia.

Some still believe stricter gun laws are needed. Greens leader, Bob Brown argues the incident in Norway must force Australia to re-think our own firearm legislation.

‘There is no good reason for semi-automatic pistols to be in circulation in Australia and it’s one of those things that we mustn’t wait for the worst to happen before we act,’ Brown told The Australian.

These sentiments were echoed by The National Coalition for Gun Control co-convenor, Samantha Lee, who believes that semi-automatic pistols should be banned completely.

‘It only takes one person with a high-powered semi-automatic firearm and access to lots of ammunition to do horrendous damage,’ Lee told the Daily Telegraph.

Regardless of recent events there are still people that believe no more regulations are needed. According to some proponents of firearm ownership further increasing restrictions will not necessarily stop another mass shooting.

Earlier this week, spokesman for the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA), Tim Bannister expressed his opposition to changing gun laws, arguing that the National Coalition for Gun Control is wrong to campaign for increased gun control.

‘I am actually quite disgusted and saddened that again they have missed the opportunity to point out that the real issue in Norway is obviously xenophobic hatred and extremist fundamentalist ideology,’ Bannister said in an AAP release.

One thing remains clear in the confusion of public debate – Governments must pre-empt incidents like the one in Norway, whether it be through firearm regulation or community education. This is obviously easier said than done.

Instead of blaming firearms it might be more helpful to combat the motivations and extremist ideologies of those that commit such terrible acts.

Anders Behring Breivik believed what he was doing was in the best interests of society and would ultimately lead to a political revolution. However many still overlook the danger of extremist ideologies in favour of increasing gun regulation.

Do we blame the equipment used to kill or should we focus on the mindset of the gunman? Maybe by focusing on the motivations of the killer we can prevent a tragedy from occuring.

It seems that we need to consider gun regulations and the mindset of the killer in order to make our society a safer place to live. Obviously strict gun laws are required to ensure weapons do not fall into the wrong hands, but we cannot overlook the reasons behind why people carry out such acts of violence.

All a government can do, whether it be in Australia or Norway, is try their best to create a safe place for us to live. That may mean stronger restrictions on firearms, more education to help citizens understand why certain policies are in place. Or it may mean more thorough investigations into extremist organizations and individuals. While these measures do not guarantee the prevention of another tragedy from occurring, we must not stop trying to protect ourselves from those who are deluded or hold extremist beliefs.

Matthew Dixon is a final-year Bachelor of Journalism student at La Trobe University and is part of upstart’s editorial team. You can follow him on Twitter: @matthewdixon23

What do you think?  Should the tragic event in Norway force Australia to rethink its gun laws?  Leave a comment below.