Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 21, 2004
‘PARTY FOR THE PRESIDENT’ - Approximately 50 people attended a ‘Party for the
President’ on Thursday, July 15 at Bridgeview Vineyards Inc. First Lady Laura Bush
delivered via telephone a message underlining her husband’s dedication and com-
mitment to the office of the presidency for all Americans. Those attending also
heard a short message from President Bush about his goals for the country. The
event was co-hosted by Bob (at right in left photo) and Lelo Kerivan , Bridgeview
owners. Attendees included Helen Scott, chairman of the Josephine County Republi-
can Central Committee; David Jakes (at right in photo above), regional chairman of
the Win 2004 Bush Campaign; Jim Frick (at left in photo above), chairman of the
Bush/Cheney Josephine County Campaign; and Cheri Adkins, events coordinator
for the Bush Campaign in Josephine County. The gathering was one of more than
7,000 nationwide, and nearly 700 in Oregon held simultaneously.
From a life of crime and imprisonment, he finds
salvation through Christ: his book details story
By SHANE WELSH
Staff Writer
Formerly known as
“Maximum John,” Selma
resident John McLaughlin
has turned a new leaf and
is spreading his story of
redemption in prisons
across the globe.
McLaughlin, a Selma
resident, wrote the book,
“A Walk to Freedom,” to
give hope and inspiration
to those behind bars, and
demonstrate the peace and
love he has found in his
own life through extreme
adversity.
McLaughlin recalled
what it was like growing
up in a broken home. “My
earliest memory is at the
age of 4 when my father
backhanded me at the din-
ner table and broke my
nose; he did that because I
spilled a glass of milk.
That was the first indica-
tion that life was destined
to be rather challenging,”
he said.
Growing up in a vio-
lent home wasn’t easy.
However, he had support
and help from his mother,
Emma, and four siblings;
especially his brother, Pat.
“My mother was our
presence of love; a com-
fort; the one who gathered
her children under her
wings,” said McLaughlin.
“If not for her, none of us
would have lived to be 10
years old.
“My brother was my
hero, my nemesis, my pro-
tector, my jawbreaker; he
was the reason the rest of
us found the power to sur-
vive.
“When my brother was
8 or 9, my mother woke in
the middle of the night and
screamed. Pat had crept
through the bedroom door
with a hammer and a ten-
penny nail that he intended
to drive into my father’s
ear as he slept so we would
be rid of the terror in our
life.
“All of us used to go to
bed and pray that we
would die in our sleep, just
‘I knew in my heart it had to be God. I
felt it in the soul I never knew I had.’
- John McLaughlin -
to get out of the horror that
we had been born into. I
remember coming home
one day and my dad had
chained the refrigerator
shut because we ate too
much,” he said.
With all the hate and
anger built up in his heart,
McLaughlin ended up
spending a great deal of
time in and out of the judi-
cial system.
“I did my first state bit
at 19 with my brother, who
was 20 at the time, for
fighting. We were fighting
people all the time. The
judge told us if we kept
going the way we were, we
would never live to be 21;
he gave us a year each.
“My brother served six
months and got out on pa-
role. He died just before he
turned 21, not long after
coming to visit me in
prison where he told me he
loved me for the last time,”
he said.
McLaughlin stayed on
his path of wanton malice
and destruction; getting 20
years for a felony and five
years for another unrelated
crime. Following his last
release from prison, his
motivation in life became
focused on killing those
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who had brought him to
justice.
“Somebody who used
to run around with me
picked me up just after
midnight, the day I got out
of (Josephine County Jail).
He had a .357 pistol on the
seat next to him; just like
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old times.
“What he didn’t know
is that I had a number of
people who I intended to
kill, including a judge who
had sentenced me. I picked
the gun up and pointed it at
him. I was certain I was
going to kill him; but the
main person I was going to
kill was myself.
“As I preceded to let
him know that he was
about to part this world, I
heard a voice speak to my
heart.
“It said, ‘Enough John,
enough.’ I knew in my
heart that it had to be
God. I felt it in the soul I
never knew I had. With
those three words, I put the
gun down and walked
around in the rain praying
the rest of the night.
“I called my parole
officer later the next day
and told her that something
wonderful was happening,
but I wasn’t sure what it
was,” said McLaughlin.
After reconciling with
his acquaintance the next
day, he said, “Everything
was new to me. I was to-
tally entertained by a man
(God) I had no idea about.
I had spent over 20 years
in maximum security, and
five years in solitary con-
finement. The first 47
years of my life was a
proving ground that I
needed a savior.
“I read in the Bible
that he who is forgiven
much must forgive much.
After accepting Jesus in
my heart, it took me years
to finally forgive myself;
the hardest thing I’ve ever
had to do. I thought forgiv-
ing my father would be the
hardest,” he said.
Although McLaughlin
had found redemption in
his own life for his wrong-
doings, he felt the need to
spread hope to others who
were facing adversity.
“I had written a
lengthy manuscript while
spending time at ‘The
Rock’, a Florida prison,”
he said.
“A prison psychologist
smuggled it out for me and
Page 5
gave it to my woman at the
time. After I was out for a
while, she got in touch
with me and mailed it to
me. After reading it, I real-
ized it was a hateful, vio-
lent attack on the prison
system and life itself; a
total inability to accept
one’s own responsibility,”
said McLaughlin.
After moving to Cave
Junction, he joined Life
Lines ministry. The non-
profit organization sends
letters to more than 2,200
prisoners across the globe
each month to inspire faith,
love, and hope for those
who likely would have
none.
During his involve-
ment with Life Lines, re-
sponding to letters from
prisoners, McLaughlin was
led to finish his book and
donate proceeds from sales
to help the ministry.
“I had 400 pages to
begin with. We had to re-
move a lot,”. He said “I
realized early that the story
wasn’t about me, but it’s
about the testimony I’ve
been blessed to share with
those seeking peace. It’s
about the love, mercy,
grace and redemption I
have found in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
“I wrote my story in
memory of my mom. She
died just five months after
(Continued on page 7)