GOP Rep. Mo Brooks calls Wednesday's shooting 'one of the bad side effects' of the constitutional right to bear arms

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published 14 June 2017

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) stood by his stance on gun control in the wake of the shooting Wednesday morning at a GOP congressional baseball practice that left at least five injured. Brooks conceded that the harrowing incident was definitely "one of the bad side effects of someone not exercising those [Second Amendment] rights properly," but he argued that did not make a case for limiting those rights in any way.

The Alabama congressman has expressed opposition to further restrictions on gun ownership and co-sponsored a bill calling for laxer restrictions on interstate gun purchases.

Brooks said that "with any constitutional provision," there are "adverse aspects to each of those rights that we enjoy." "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," Brooks said. "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."