Your feeling of gratitude for the "program" is not really gratitude, it is entitlement. You might feel gratitude, but what you are grateful for is a government willing to take away from others in order to fix your mistake.
My question is, how can you say that I feel entitled to the benefits that were afforded to me? The definition of entitlement is "the fact of having a right to something". I did not say I had a right to this or that it belonged to me. What I have felt is gratitude, which as defined is, "the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness." I have and will continue to return kindness (and the financial obligation) that was shown to me.
I have one final thought. I am sure not everyone here ascribes to the teachings of Jesus but I wanted to share them with you.
In Matthew 25 it states that Jesus said,
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’"
Thank you for the previous replies. And I hope you all have a great day.