What is a Patriot?

After the recent Canada Day and Independence Day celebrations in the U.S. and Canada I am left to wonder what a Patriot truly is.  We see people waving flags, wearing flag colours etc.  Most of those people would agree that the country we live in is great and that they are proud to be Canadian (or American). 

Many use the following to define a patriot: "A patriot is someone who feels a strong support for their country".  I have even seen a description that mentions the following:  "Patriotism is a devotion to one's country for no other reason than being a citizen of that country."  Thats pretty empty and in my opinion, slightly dangerous.

Too many times, when a citizen disagrees with his or her government, they are branded as unpatriotic.  As in we should just blindly follow our leaders, and any questioning of their policies amounts to an un-patriotic view.  We see this a lot when it comes to the question of war.  If you don't support the war, you don't support our troops and therefore you are unpatriotic.  

How about this person (from Canada.com)?  This lady is protesting the Canadian troop activity in Afghanistan.  Is she being unpatriotic?  She is showing a dissenting opinion against the war in Afghanistan that has no bearing on our national security.  She doesnt want their citizens killed by our troops, she doesn't want our troops killed and doesn't want Canadians paying for the bill.  In other words she cares for her fellow Canadians well being.  Is she not patriotic?

Should patriotism not include care for your fellow citizens?  

We, on this side of the world, first heard the term applied to British North Americans who were fighting for their rights as free men and were fighting to separate themselves from the British Crown.  These patriots didn't sit back and wave British flags while the crown taxed them excessively and took away their guns...they fought back.
Yet nowadays we are told we need to stop questioning our governments and what they do.

I am happy to live in Canada, especially compared to other places in the world, but I still find some of the intrusions in our lives rather disturbing.  Others are disturbed about it as well, and some are hopping mad about it.   

I believe the true patriots are those who speak out against the erosion of our personal and economic freedom that we find ourselves faced with.  There are a select few who protest these events not only for themselves but for their fellow citizens.