The NRA has been quiet since last Friday's tragedy.  They basically shut down their Facebook page for almost four days, stopped all Twitter account activity, and refused to answer questions to, well, anyone.

And then, late yesterday, they issued a statement:

The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters – and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.

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.

The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.

The NRA is planning to hold a major news conference in the Washington, DC area on Friday, December 21.

Details will be released to the media at the appropriate time.

Now, some on the left say that it's the NRA's way of ducking the issue....hoping that the conversation will change to something else.  I personally appreciated the silence, as there's just so much chatter out there right now.  So much anger, so much fingerpointing....so. much. chatter.  I appreciated the fact that they allowed the story to unfold and allowed time to convey facts before they just spouted off to some MSM reporters.  I think they handled it the way they should have.

As much as people want to compartmentalize, the NRA encompasses conservatives AND liberals, y'all.  I mean, you'd be surprised who's a member of the NRA.  Four million people is a lot of folks, and the roster is inclusive, to say the least.  Just ask Whoopi Goldberg:

On a side note, several retail stores have pulled guns from their shelves, or stopped selling firearms entirely since last week's shooting (whether that's temporary or permanent, I don't know). 

I'll be curious to see what "meaningful contributions" the NRA will put on the table on Friday.

Discuss.