Nanny Nonsense

Marc Fisher has come up with one of the flimsiest excuses ever for opposing social reform legislation, arguing that Montgomery County was wrong to pass a nanny protection law because nannies have it worse in other places ["Law Reinforces Montgomery as a Nanny State," Metro, July 22]. The only thing flimsier was Fisher's view that "in many cases" nannies are employed "without abuse."

I guess Massachusetts has no right to require universal health coverage because other states have more uninsured? Or that any state that has the political climate and resources to be a model for others on social issues should wait until the worst states pass their own reform legislation?

And what about the Montgomery nannies who were not among the "many cases" and bravely came forward to testify about financial and physical abuse? Should they continue to suffer because the county's rate of abuse isn't high enough?

-- Marilyn Park

Silver Spring