– Marc Gafni’s friends, collaborators, and supporters speak out for the sake of restoring integrity. This statement by Thomas G. Goddard about organized media hit jobs was first posted as a comment to the Center for Integral Wisdom statement on centerforintegralwisdom.org. You can read the statement below or listen to the audio. –

I cut my teeth on politics. There is a rich tradition in the world of politics of media hit jobs. Our history books are filled with examples, not only throughout the history of this country, dating back to and including the Founding Fathers, but throughout human political history.

I know an organized media hit job when I see one.

The recent resurrection of attacks on Marc Gafni is a classic, albeit particularly venomous, media hit job. It has a different flavor than those I grew up studying because of the power of social media. The venom moves faster and farther now than it used to, but it still is easy to spot: unsupported allegations, tightly coordinated messages, and overt threats against anyone associated with the target.

I know Marc, and have for many years. There is absolutely nothing in the allegations that is consistent with the Marc Gafni I know. He is a man of integrity, brilliance, and compassion.

I reaffirm my commitment, both to Marc as a friend and to the work of the Center for Integral Wisdom. The work we are doing at the think tank is an important endeavor to consciously participate in the evolution of Love by articulating an emergent wisdom not only about what it is to be human, but about the nature of the very fabric of Being. This work of participating in the evolution of Love is too important to me to allow a crass manipulation of media — social and otherwise — to distract me from this work.

It is my earnest hope that we — the human species — will grow in our capacity to recognize and defuse such attacks with an evolved capacity for love. Perhaps this time is an opportunity to further such evolution.

Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD