Cliff Owen/AP
Representative Mo Brooks addressed Second Amendment rights in response to this morning's shooting at the Republican congressional baseball practice in Virginia. When asked if the shooting changes his views on these gun rights, he responded:
Not with respect to the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment right to bear arms is to ensure that we always have a republic. And as with any constitutional provision in the Bill of Rights, there are adverse aspects to each of those rights that we enjoy as people. And what we just saw here is one of the bad side effects of someone not exercising those rights properly. But we're not going to get rid of freedom of speech because some people say some really ugly things that hurt other people's feelings. We're not going to get rid of Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights because it allows some criminals to go free who should be behind bars.
These rights are there to protect Americans, and while each of them has a negative aspect to them, they are fundamental to our being the greatest nation in world history. So no, I'm not changing my position on any of the rights we enjoy as Americans. With respect to this particular shooter, I'd really like to know more about him — whether he was an ex-felon, by way of example, who should have not had possession of a firearm — I'd like to know other things about his background before I pass judgement.
Watch it here at 16:30: