Rep. Mo Brooks said Wednesday's shooting at the Republicans' congressional baseball practice has not altered his view of the Second Amendment.

Brooks, R-Ala., was on deck to bat and gave a harrowing account of the gunfire. Asked later whether it had affected his views on gun control, Brooks said, "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 other 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."

Brooks said many amendment rights besides the Second Amendment can have "adverse aspects" as well.

"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," Brooks said. "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."