Two women. Both are 48 years old and both are mothers of daughter. One is wealthy. The other has forsaken earthly riches for a greater reward. One is powerful. The other has relinquished control – even over her life.

Ironically, both women have given stirring speeches on similar topics over the past few weeks. But only one of those speeches was attended by thousands and broadcast internationally. The other by a handful of devoted supporters, with no TV cameras present to capture her passion.

The wealthy, powerful 48-year-old woman whose ‘Family Values’ speech at the Democratic Convention in Chicago drew a standing ovation is Hilary Rodham Clinton. The other is Linda Gibbons, who in defending family values, celebrated her 48^th birthday in a Toronto jail cell.

What a contrast! Hilary, being unwilling or unable to share her own definition of family values, went with one given to her by actor Christopher Reeve the previous night, that “We are all family and that we all have value.” Nice try.

Too bad she doesn’t know Linda, a woman who so strongly believes in the value of the family that she is willing to die to defend it.

Hilary’s speech wasn’t bad though. Affordable health insurance, longer hospital stays for new mothers, more time off for parents of sick children and a $5,000 tax credit for adoptive couples were among Hilary’s better ideas. But you’ve got to wonder that if not for the persistence of pro-family Republicans like Alan Keyes and Pat Buchanan, these ideas would have never seen light at the Democratic National Convention.

To what benefit?

Still, they’re just window dressing in the face of a million abortions each year south of the border. Think about it! What good is a law to keep new mothers in the hospital longer, if there are no new mothers? Or of what benefit is time off to parents of sick children, if there are no children to comfort? Even a tax credit for adoption is futile if 95 per cent of unwanted children continue to be brutally killed while still in their mother’s womb.

So don’t let Hilary and the Democrats or their Canadian counterparts (Jean Cretien and the gang) deceive you. The only reason they’re even talking about “Family Values” is because they’ve been cornered into it.

As my mother always said: “Actions speak louder than words.” The fact is, the U.S. Democrats and Canadian Liberals have done little to defend the family and have done much to attack, undermine, de-value and redefine it.

If this were not true, our most courageous defender of family, Linda Gibbons, would not be behind bars today.

Happy birthday Linda and remember the words of Jesus: “He who looses his life for My sake will find it.”