Why did the ranks swell? Because teammates, even when they don't believe in something as strongly as you do, come to your defense when you're attacked. If the president would have kept his mouth shut, there'd still be just a small protest. But just like with North Korea, this president has never seen a fire he doesn't want to pour gasoline on. The protest's purpose being muddied is just what it's opponents want, so they scream about dishonoring vets or the flag, because they don't want to talk about the issues being protested. The idea that a different forum would be better is because this forum is right in front of people's faces and they have to see it and they don't want to. These protests do unambiguously honor our vets, flag, and country; because they are exactly the freedom that flag represents.