What exactly do I have to do, to get past this lazy perception for my folks?

It's inherited by the eldest son, and the mother's background is irrelevant. Since everyone but the monarch and the peers in the UK is a commoner, almost ANY woman an earl married would be a "common woman," even if she were called "Lady Whoever". Only if she held a peerage in her own right (very rare for women) would she NOT be a commoner.

High-ranking peers usually have more than one title, so an earl's eldest son uses his father's highest-ranking subsidiary title, which is normally "Viscount," 'by courtesy'. For example, to take the late Diana, Princess of Wales's family as an example, Earl Spencer has the subsidiary title of "Viscount Althorp," Althorp being the name of the Spencer estate, so his eldest son is allowed to use that title, though it doesn't make him a peer. He won't be a peer until he inherits the earl's title.

"Lord" is a sort of generic term that be applied to anyone with a peerage. It's also used for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.