What is Patriotism? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary® , a Patriot is defined as such: "one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests."

Recently, it has come to my attention that due to expanding political views, definition of an American Patriot or American Patriotism is being questioned by all parties of American political spectrum. So what does define a "real" American Patriot? Let's take a look into 'real' American history.

A good example of 'real' American Patriotism dates back to 1765. At that time, our country was being lead by British government. Phrases like, "If this be treason, make most of it," and "Give me liberty or give me death" arose from a 'real' American patriot, Patrick Henry. A Political leader in American Revolution, Patrick Henry denounced many of our "American" laws of time, and was responsible for developing first 10 amendments of our US Constitution. Patriot or not?

1776 brought us Nathan Hale. Mr. Hale was famed for spying on our 'then' British-ruled country; was captured by British and prior to his hanging said, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Patriot or not?

Then we have Chief of Shawnee - Tecumseh. Chief Tecumseh believed that all Native American land was common possession of all Native Americans, and that land could not rightly be ceded by, or purchased from, an individual tribe. Becoming allies with 'original' American government - British, Tecumseh commanded a massive force of Native Americans in siege of Fort Meigs. He later lost his life during battle of Thames, led by General William Henry Harrison. Patriot or not?

Blackhawk, a Sauk Indian (Native American) was forced to fight white militia and US Federal troops in 1832 over land. As a "war trophy," our then President, Andrew Jackson made Blackhawk and his son prisoners and exploited them around our 'country,' as spoils of war. Even when Blackhawk passed away in 1838, white 'Americans' robbed his grave and stole his body. Patriot or not?

Sitting Bull, a less-talked about Patriot, fought US Army troops in 1800s. He faught against General George Armstrong Custer (over gold) in Black Hills of Dakota Territory. Sitting Bull's reason for his Patriotic acts: preserving a sacred area to many tribes. Patriot or not?

Crazy Horse, another Patriot, was a visionary leader who in 1867, fought and destroyed US Army brigade of William J. Fetterman at Fort Phil Kearny. In 1876, US Army ordered all Lakota bands confined to their American-bound reservations. Crazy Horse lead real 'American' revolution against US Army; joining forces with Sitting Bull, to become victorious at Little Bighorn. However, Crazy Horse was eventually forced to surrender in 1877 due to US military harassment and buffalo depletion. Murdered by US Military officers in September 1877, Crazy Horse was a true American. Patriot or not?

The best-seller has just been banned in Lebanon after complaints by Catholic leaders that it was offensive to Christianity.

Father Abdou Abu Kasm, president of Lebanon's Catholic Information Centre, is reported to have described contents of book as "insulting". "There are paragraphs that touch very roots of Christian religion... they say Jesus Christ had a sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene, that they had children. Those things are difficult for us to accept, even if it's supposed to be fiction," he said.

'The Da Vinci Code' had sold in great numbers in Lebanon where about a third of population are Christian.

There are many sub-sets of censorship, but one way of boiling this thorny issue down is to split secular and religious censorship. Secular censorship has often tried to protect us from ourselves, with result being that future classics, like James Joyce's 'Ulysses' and D.H. Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' were banned initially. It has also been used by authorities such as Napoleon III and Nazi Germany as a tool to maintain status quo.

Religious censorship has often revolved around notion of image. In early Christianity, for example, feet of saints and Virgin Mary could not be shown bare. In 17th Century, Bartolome Murillo, a great painter of religious subjects, suffered wrath of Spanish inquisition for "suggesting that Madonna had toes".

I suppose I have always instinctively felt that essence of civilisation was to allow fredom of expression.