In 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for his civil rights' movements. Still remembered for his poignant speech, "...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." Some of our American countrymen viewed Mr. King, not as a Patriot, but as a threat. In 1968, Mr. King was assasinated for his American Patriotism. Patriot or not?

Additionally, many American Patriots are still left unrecognized. Only in 1985, were African Americans even acknowledged for their service to our 'country.' As part of Human Goals Program lead by President Reagon did we first gain publication of African American Heroism...and patriotism. Most Americans don't realize that our own US Marine Corps barred African Americans from their service in 1798, but were good enough to serve otherwise. Moreover, American victory led by General Andrew jackson in New Orleans was greatly assisted by African Americans. In a twist of bittersweet irony, same African patriots who once helped in this great battle were not permitted to march in annual parades celebrating victory. Patriots or not?

What is true definition of an American and Patriotism? What you have just read defines none and all Patriotism simultaneously. Is it love for country or love of a country's moral beliefs, policies and foundations? When one says, "I would die for my country," what exactly is he dying for?

Upon reviewing just a few brief glimpses of American history, one can summize that "Patriotism" is in fact, love for a country's greater good, or depending on needs of particular group, their greater good.

Perhaps we shall never know what a real "American" is or what defines an act of Patriotism; however, I leave you with a quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning, American Novelist, poet and critic - Robert Penn Warren to embrace further: "A look at past reminds us of how great is distance, and how short, over which we have come. The past makes us ask what we have done with us. It makes us ask whether our very achievements are not ironical counterpoint and contrast to our fundamental failures."

Some thoughts to ponder.

Definition of an American: A Brief Glimpse of Patriotism by C. Bailey-Lloyd/Lady Camelot © 2004 - All Rights Reserved Public Relations' Director & Staff Writer www.HolisticJunction.com www.MediaPositiveRadio.com

Read this and more articles at www.holisticjunction.com today!

References:

*Sam Houston State University www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/AfrAmer.html

*Yahoo Encyclopedia - http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=21620

*Meriam-Webster Online Dictionary - Definition of Patriot

*Great Native American Leaders & Patriots http://members.tripod.com/~RFester/chiefs.html

*PBS - The West - Sitting Bull www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/sittingbull.htm

*PBS - The West - Crazy Horse www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/crazyhorse.htm

*Tecumseh http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=46517

*American Patriots information derived from several American history texts and websites.

[All work by author is copyright protected. If you would like to use this article, please contact author for permission.]

But do we want laws to prevent publication of self-proclaimed fiction? I'm open to argument, but I am minded to say 'no'.

It is a difficult call. Earlier this week, Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Burma protested against a film called 'Hollywood Buddha' which they said degrades religion's founder.

"We want release of this film stopped," monk Mawarale Baddiya told Associated Press.

"The film scoffs at Lord Buddha, his character and his teaching."

Not having seen this film and not having read 'The Da Vinci Code', I cannot comment on their quality. But I don't believe that subjective judgement of quality should interfere with matters of principles.

A practical illustration of where I stand is work of T.S. Elliot. Whilst I am repelled by his anti-semitism, I would never want to live in a society that sought to ban his books; and almost as importantly I think that such censorship would be self-defeating. In long run, there is nothing that perpetuates antipathy more than authorities placing themselves on some moral pedestal, and dictating to us what we can or can't read or view.

As a footnote, I see major problem in another genre altogether. Films and books that claim to be 'docudramas', or 'based on reality' allow themselves a freedom from truth and simultaenously a freedom from many of our laws. They exploit a loophole so that they can present a portrait of people without actually having to be factually accurate.