Oh, man, those papers were awesome. I had more than a few "What is this?" comments on my papers in HS.
Why are American students idiots? That's what happens when you have coaches teaching classes.
There's a difference between being stupid and ignorant. Stupid people have a place in God's universe - as long as you're working to meet your potential, I have no beef with you. But ignorance is encouraged and rewarded by the American system. When grades are based on self-esteem instead of demonstrated mastery of the material, and once-serious universities offer "leisure studies" degrees, is it any wonder that ignorance thrives?