After Connecticut School Shooting, NRA Ready To Make 'Meaningful Contributions'

After days of silence, the National Rifle Association has released a statement on the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Conn., saying it will make "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."

In the release, the organization begins to explain its silence, saying: "Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting."

Critics had called out the group in the days following the December 14 shooting: As citizens and legislators began to fall on either side of a debate about what, if at all, should be done about gun laws, many wondered why the group was absent from the conversation.

Patch submitted a media request with the NRA, which also houses its National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, and has yet to receive comment. The organization released its statement Tuesday to the press. 

The organization announced that it will hold a press conference Friday (December 21) in Washington, D.C. 

For more on this articie, visit Falls Church (Va.) Patch.

-- What do you think needs to be done to prevent mass shooting tragedies? Do you support the NRA? Share your thoughts in the comments below.