The Teacher and the Student: Tom Woods Remembers Charlie Kirk
How an 18-Year-Old's Email Revealed the True Legacy of a Martyred Conservative Leader
Sometimes the most powerful tributes come not from political allies, but from intellectual mentors who watched a movement grow from a single spark of inspiration.
In the avalanche of tributes following Charlie Kirk's assassination, one voice cut through the noise with devastating clarity. Libertarian economist and podcaster Tom Woods—whose 2,690 episodes of "The Tom Woods Show" have educated millions—shared something that reveals the true tragedy of what we've lost.
Woods still had the email. Thirteen years later, he still had the email that changed everything.
The Email That Started a Revolution
On October 1, 2012, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate named Charlie Kirk wrote to Tom Woods:
"Your speeches on YouTube have inspired me to take action on a national stage. I am 18 years old and a recent high school graduate. So often in high school we are told what to think instead of how to think. For years I felt subject to the system, like a sheep getting ready for slaughter. Then my friend told me about your videos. I watched every single one, and I read two of your books."
That young man who felt "like a sheep getting ready for slaughter" had just discovered something revolutionary: freedom is the solution, not the problem.
Charlie continued: "Inspired by your words, I started an organization Turning Point USA. Which has skyrocketed to the national stage. The basis of our group is to educate our peers about the generational theft that is taking place in this country."
What followed was a thank-you that would prove prophetic: "I want to thank you for playing an important role in my life. I will continue to read your articles, and watch your videos for inspiration. One day I hope to meet you and thank you in person."
Charlie did meet Woods—by chance, on an airplane, where he introduced himself to his intellectual mentor.
The Teacher's Lament
Woods' tribute carries the weight of a teacher who watched his student surpass even his wildest expectations, only to see him cut down at 31. The pain is palpable: "There is no reason this man should be dead."
But Woods sees something deeper than personal tragedy. He recognizes the spiritual warfare dimension that many are afraid to acknowledge: "Imagine being so intolerant that even Charlie Kirk, who promoted free and open debate and would answer any question, offended you."
This wasn't just political violence—this was an attack on the very concept of dialogue, debate, and intellectual curiosity. They didn't kill Charlie Kirk the Republican; they killed Charlie Kirk the educator, the questioner, the young man who dared to think for himself.
A Prophecy and a Warning
Woods' most chilling observation doubles as both prophecy and warning: "Enjoy your macabre celebrations now, savages, because mark my words, the next generation of right-wingers will make you wish you had Charlie Kirk back."
Those celebrating Charlie's death have no comprehension of what they've unleashed. Charlie Kirk represented the reasonable, debate-loving, question-answering face of young conservatism. He was the bridge between libertarian intellectuals like Woods and mainstream Republican politics.
That bridge is now gone.
As Woods notes, we've reached a point where "if you refuse to believe that a woman can have a penis, you will be vilified and attacked, and a huge segment of the population will cheer if you are murdered." This isn't America in 2000—this is America in 2025, where basic biological reality can get you killed.
Beyond Politics: A War of Worldviews
Woods quotes Virginia State Representative Nick Freitas, who refuses to offer the typical political platitudes about "standing together as one people." Instead, Freitas tells the truth: this is "not a civil dispute among fellow countrymen. It's a war between diametrically opposed worldviews which cannot peacefully coexist with one another."
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Charlie Kirk was a peacemaker—he sought to win through persuasion, education, and open debate. They killed him anyway.
This reveals something profound about our enemies: they don't want to win the argument; they want to end the argument. Forever.
The Understated Problem
Woods concludes with a sobering reflection on his own "School of Life" community, where he's been warning about the need to "band together to flourish and thrive even in a world that hates us." Some have criticized this language as "needlessly extreme and provocative."
Woods' response: "If anything, I have understated the problem."
We are "demonized by media and cultural establishments that are at once sinister and low-IQ, the public is systematically lied to about matters of existential significance, we are taught to look upon our civilization with embarrassment and shame."
The assassination of Charlie Kirk—a man whose only "crime" was encouraging young people to think critically—proves that Woods has indeed understated the problem.
A Wake-Up Moment?
Woods ends with a question that haunts every thinking conservative: "Have we reached a wake-up moment, when we decide we don't in fact have to live like this after all?"
The teacher who inspired an 18-year-old to start a movement is asking whether that movement will survive its founder's martyrdom—or whether it will transform into something far more serious.
Charlie Kirk believed in the power of ideas, debate, and education. He spent 13 years proving that young minds could be changed through reasoned argument and passionate presentation of truth.
His assassins proved that some minds don't want to be changed—they want opposing voices silenced permanently.
The Student's Eternal Lesson
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Charlie Kirk's greatest lesson may not be found in any Turning Point USA speech, but in his martyrdom itself. He showed us that evil fears education, that darkness hates light, and that some truths are so dangerous to the regime that they'll kill the messenger.
The 18-year-old who felt like "a sheep getting ready for slaughter" became a shepherd who awakened millions. His death will awaken millions more.
Tom Woods kept that email for 13 years. Now it serves as a testament to what one inspired young person can accomplish—and what we lose when evil chooses bullets over ballots.
"For now, we can say only: RIP, Charlie." - Tom Woods
But Charlie's work isn't finished. It's just beginning.
What role did intellectual mentors play in shaping your worldview? How can we honor Charlie Kirk's legacy of education and debate?
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Thank you,
Pedro