MassHighway's idea of a compromise is that the banners and flags will still come down. They will be replaced with official signs along the highways proclaiming "Welcome home" and "Thank you." It has not been decided just where the signs will be placed.

The plan is before a task force of veterans agents, state legislators and veterans organizations convened by Patrick last fall after the last attempt to remove the banners.

It won't work.

A state authority cannot squelch citizens' genuine, heartfelt emotions, no matter how hard it tries. People place the banners because they are moved to welcome their individual family members and friends home from war, not because they want to make some generic statement of thanks. There are signs on an overpass on Route 213 offering prayers for the safe return of a specific soldier missing in action, Sgt. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence. An "official" sign on the roadside saying "Come home soon" just isn't the same.

The highway department is trying to solve a "problem" that just does not exist. The department claims the signs are a safety hazard, because they might be blown off the overpasses and on to passing cars. But MassHighway cannot offer a single instance of anything like that happening. Sure, it might happen. And that would be dangerous. But not as dangerous as the veryy are moved to welcome their individual family members and friends home from war, not because they want to make some generic statement of thanks. There are signs on an overpass on Route 213 offering prayers for the safe return of a specific soldier missing in action, Sgt. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence. An "official" sign on the roadside saying "Come home soon" just isn't the same.

The highway department is trying to solve a "problem" that just does not exist. The department claims the signs are a safety hazard, because they might be blown off the overpasses and on to passing cars. But MassHighway cannot offer a single instance of anything like that happening. Sure, it might happen. And that would be dangerous. But not as dangerous as the very real problem of chunks of concrete falling from rotting overpasses on to the roads below. If only MassHighway were as eager to fix that problem.

Many of those who place the flags and banners, like Jim Wareing of Methuen, take care to see that they are securely attached to the inside of protective fences on the overpasses. Of course the highway department would be right to remove any banners that have been neglected and are in real danger of falling. But beyond that, ordering the banners removed makes little sense.

MassHighway is tying itself in knots trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist, while very real problems with our roads are neglected and ignored.

MassHighway should get off its overpass banner kick and spend its time on problems that really matter.

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