Hey, it's cool, I'm just curious (read: nosey, lol).

Regarding your parents, the idea the government is a benevolent force working in your life is old as time (hell, there are people born in America who believe it, and we should know better...), and it's a hard one to let go of unless you've seen proof to the contrary first hand. Best advice I got is show, don't tell. "actions speak louder than words" as the saying goes.