I DON’T often like to make moral appeals. I have never asked anyone to “think of the children.” I have never said something should not be done “in the interest of common decency.” That is why I feel slightly silly when I type the following phrase: Is nothing sacred?

I’m compelled to ask the question because New York tourist shops are reportedly selling postcards of the World Trade Center collapsing. There are books about Sept. 11, posters, commemorative plates and flags, movies and television shows centering directly on the tragedy or cashing in on the patriotism the events have inspired. I can just imagine the trading cards: “I’ll trade you a Giuliani for a Dubya!”

But as much as I want to laugh off these examples of capitalism at its best, the laughter gets stuck in my throat. There are things that should not be cashed in on. The tragedy of Sept. 11 is one of them. Capitalists everywhere should