Published Commentaries
- JC Graham
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 25
Last updated: February 25, 2026
JC Graham, President of the Vashon-Maury Community Council, has written several commentaries in The Beachcomber reflecting on how we all build a participative democracy in our island community.
Beachcomber Commentary: Cultivating a refugium of civic sanity
By JC Graham • February 10, 2026
A shelter doesn’t stop the storm — it gives us a place to keep safe while it passes over.
Beachcomber Commentary: Treasuring the common good
By JC Graham • December 23, 2025
The value of what emerges depends on how well we do that work together.
Vashon Loop Commentary: Our Local Democracy As Living Complexity
By JC Graham • December 10, 2025
Authoritarian systems treat diversity and dissent as noise that must be stifled. Democracy, at its healthiest, treats them as signals – information about who we are and what must evolve next.
Beachcomber Commentary: The sweet refugium we call home
By JC Graham • December 2, 2025
A refugium is a kind of sanctuary; for humans, it’s sustained by the ethic of stewardship — the obligation to care for the vulnerable, both human and ecological, in a way that sustains the whole community over time.
Beachcomber Commentary: Democracy depends on showing up
By JC Graham • November 12, 2025
Direct democracy doesn’t ask for perfection, it asks for presence.
Beachcomber Commentary: Living among the brambles
By JC Graham • October 29, 2025
On this day, you and I are shaping how we live together — and the future we are making.
Beachcomber Commentary: The everyday power of solidarity
By JC Graham • October 6, 2025
These moments matter. They knit us together, reminding us we’re not alone.
Beachcomber Commentary: Building abundance together
By JC Graham • August 28, 2025
Quantity all too often overshadows quality, and we can end up feeling busy with things that don’t provide lasting satisfaction.
Beachcomber Commentary: A call to local democracy
By JC Graham • August 5, 2025
In local groups, it’s a different matter. Here on Vashon-Maury Island, the impact of each community member’s participation is not the exception, but the rule.
Beachcomber Commentary: Strengthening democracy in an age of disruption
By JC Graham • July 23, 2025
By working together to make democracy more adaptable and responsive, we can ensure its resilience against authoritarian threats and preserve it as a source of hope and strength for future generations.
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