So let’s get this straight: Boston Mayor Menino and the Boston Police Department (BPD) spokesperson are shocked – shocked – that our TV ads featuring retired police officers include 20-year-old pictures of them in uniform. The Herald approvingly reports on their outrage:

"Boston cops and Mayor Thomas M. Menino are up in arms that pictures of two uniformed officers and a marked cruiser appear in new political ads supporting a controversial proposal to decriminalize marijuana."

Uniformed officers campaigning! How outrageous! Surely this isn’t something their side would ever engage in ...

Except, it seems, at this “No on Question 2” press conference:

Or this one:

Or this one:

Or here:

And here:

And so on.

So, lesson learned. The powers-that-be feel it’s an ethics violation to show an old photograph of a cop ... if he supports Question 2.

But active duty law enforcement, in uniform and on the public dime, campaigning against the initiative? Not so much.

Nice try, guys.