"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to
stand by the President or any public official, save exactly to the
degree he himself stands by the country."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
"There are Patriots. Then there are democrats."
-- Bumper sticker in Tampa
A patriot is committed to a strong belief that the cause of liberty is righteous and just. He will not abandon this cause, even in times of great personal affliction or persecution. Understanding the great value and uniqueness of these documents, a patriot supports and defends every aspect of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights with religious zeal, to the extent that he is even willing to sacrifice his own life in defense of the ideas embodied within them, if that becomes necessary. He recognizes that, in effect, those who don't know their inalienable rights, and defend them, have none. Thus, he constantly strives to clearly understand his rights, and the long series of steps which the enemy has taken to weaken, subvert, and usurp them.
A patriot realizes that he is not only fighting mere flesh and blood, but also evil forces which have been around since the beginning of time. He recognizes that the enemy is not monolithic in nature, but instead represents a grand synthesis of political, spiritual, and cultural thought. He is not an atheist, since he recognizes that in order to be truly inalienable, his rights must be derived from a deity, and not from the corrupt political institutions of man. He may or may not be a Christian, however, he does recognize and understand the vast influence that Christianity had on many of the Founding Fathers and their writings. Heeding Biblical advice, he stands in the way of tyranny and remembers the old paths, wherein is the good way, and walks therein.
A patriot recognizes that throughout world history, freedom has been a very minor exception, rather than the rule. Thus, he understands that America is still an exceptional nation, even though it is rapidly becoming normalized. He understands that people around the world envy his freedoms, and look to America for moral and emotional support in times of political crisis. Thus, he understands that if liberty's flame is snuffed out in this great nation, hope will also vanish for those in the rest of the world.
Realizing that an ignorant populace is the bane of liberty, he constantly strives to educate himself, and others. However, he is well-aware that this alone will not win the war against tyranny, since he and his fellows stand no chance of winning merely by fighting defensive battles fought by the enemies' rules. Thus, he realizes that they will need to constantly implement new offensive tactics and heed Patrick Henry's advice: "The battle is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."
A patriot recognizes that throughout world history, domestic enemies have proven to be the primary threat to liberty, and that statistics reveal, in this century, almost four times more people have been slaughtered in cold-blood by their own government during peacetime, than by foreign foes during wartime. He also realizes that giving in to the demands of totalitarian governments has proven to be far deadlier than active resistance.
A patriot is involved with a citizen's militia unit, since he understands that: "A well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country" (Madison). He also realizes that: "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government" (Washington). He recognizes that his task will not be short or easy, since: "In the beginning of change, the patriot is a scarce man; brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot" (Twain).
-- Daniel Kuehne
The Second Amendment is the canary of liberty. When it dies, you
have sound reason to fear you are about to lose what's left of
your freedoms.
-- Charley Reese, Syndicated Columnist
The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly.
-- Abraham Lincoln