On the one hand, yes it's no strange feeling you descibe. On the other hand, to a lot of people anything official, state or federal as you say was for the longest time a synonym to fair and equal treatment before the laws and ordinances of organised communal society. And now it's not. Imagine a sheep on the lam, realising that it's free. Yippee! at first, and then: "Where will I sleep? Where is warm and food and cuddly pile of friends? Oh shee-it, that is /not/ the dog..." To avoid that reaction, most people will do pretty much any kind of mental and emotional gymnastics, don't you think?