Wht does it mean to be a patriot?

I was looking in my dictionary the other day (yes, a real book. do you remember those?), and I came across a few words that I found interesting sitting on the pages.

The first word is patriot. The given definition of a patriot is as follows: one who loves his country and zealously supports its authority and interests
This is where I start to disagree: "...zealously supports [the Country's] authority and interests". I believe that many American Patriots would have a hard time if the government declared a state of emergency, implemented martial law, and took an interest in confiscating your guns and other constitutional freedoms and rights. And truly stated, a patriot is one who loves and supports his country, but also stands up for the foundations that it was built on. Without our firearms, we are defenseless against tyrannical government; without our freedom of speech, we cannot inform each other and communicate, and so on. A patriot does follow it's nation's laws, though, but you should know when enough is enough.

The other word that I discovered has the first word in it, it is patriotism, and is defined as such: love or devotion to one's country
That is completely true. When you show patriotism, aren't you showing your love for your rights, the flag, the president (at least the office) and the constitution, ontop of other things?

I was told at the beginning of my senior year in high school that there was a difference between a 'leader' and having 'leadership'. The difference being that a leader can possess the position of 'almighty ruler' all fucking day, but in the end, if he cannot be a fair, and mindful leader, he is not a true leader at all. Those who possess leadership qualities, even if they aren't in a leadership position, are the true leaders of the people. And the same concept goes for being a patriot, and possessing patriotism. You can say that you love and support your country all you want, but if you don't cover your own and stay true to what you say, you are a poser, not any kind of patriot.

And that is the real definition of a patriot, one who expresses and carries through with patriotism; a deep love and respect for his country and his people.