To the Editor:

President Bush continues to erode this country's international reputation, this time by vetoing HR 2082.  The legislation was designed to prevent our government from torturing people.  The bill would have outlawed waterboarding, sexual humiliation and other techniques that portray us to the world as being no better than our enemies.  In my lifetime, no president has done so much to erode our standards of human decency.

What the president forgets, beyond his own claims that we do not torture people, is that he justifies similar treatment of our young soldiers who may be imprisoned in foreign lands.  I commend Congress for approving this bill. 

It is time to make the United States a model for the world.  We can and should again be known as the epitome of decency and compassion. I hope we can find a leader who understands diplomacy and the importance of American standards.

Marc I. Hoffman
Montgomery Township

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/320-03162008-1504272.html