CULTURE WATCH : Trading Down

Collecting and swapping trading cards of sports heroes used to be a simple and innocent pastime reserved for children. Now, the kid collectors sometimes find themselves facing hordes of aggressive adult collectors of cards; simplicity and innocence seem to belong to a bygone era.

In what is an unsettling commentary on how much times have changed, a publisher is planning to market a set of collectible trading cards depicting, among others, Charles Manson and admitted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

The Northern California company is known for offbeat and humorous card sets based on history and on current events. They include the savings and loan scandal, the Iran-Contra affair and, most recently, “Coup d’Etat,” based on the conspiracy theories surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

To some, a Charles Keating card might be sardonically funny, but few people will chuckle at the 110-card “True Crime” series, due in the spring. The set will feature serial killers, mass murderers and organized crime figures, with a few law-and-order types thrown in for good measure. On the back, a card will offer information such as how the crime was committed and the number of victims.

This publisher is protected by the First Amendment, and under no circumstances would we suggest it be otherwise. But with freedom comes responsibility. The company is kidding itself when it says its cards aren’t aimed at children. Baloney. Children already are exposed to too much violence. Some of these cards clearly cross the line.