Charles Shiflett Column November 13, 2005

A Peek At America's Future?

In light of what is currently happening in France this is a little embarrassing, but I have a confession to
make. Shiflett is a French name. Actually it's an Americanized spelling of the name Chifflet, which
over there is properly pronounced Shif-lay.

A possible meaning of the name is one who banters, jests, or makes good-natured ridicule of others.
I've always had a crazy sense of humor, so maybe there's something to this.

The Chifflet's were people of rank who lived in the eastern portion of France in the piedmont area under
the shadow of the Alps. I've come across several Chifflet family coat of arms and crests, and have
uncovered counts and others of royalty. Too bad none of this wealth passed to me.

Now before you get the idea that I'm a flaming socialist French pansy, let me put your mind at ease.
I've done a lot of genealogy research over the years and this is the only French line I can find in my
ancestry… thankfully.

All of my other ancestors were of English or Irish descent with a little Scotch and one Cherokee. I've
calculated it out, and I'm officially only one-thousandth French… again thankfully.

OK Chuck, where is this going? Before you turn the page, this column is not about my family tree.
There's a point to all of this, so just hang on.

As best as we can trace, the Shiflett's of America are all descended from a common ancestor who
possibly came to Virginia in the 1690's. The Chifflet's of France were primarily Anabaptists and records
indicate that our forefather came here to escape the religious persecution being carried out against
Protestants by the Catholic Church.

This original Shiflett's descendents quickly married into some of Virginia's most prominent colonial
families and those French phoo-phoo tendencies if still there, were quickly bred out. One last time…
thankfully!

For those of you with a little France in your pants, my personal theory is that most of the good French
people migrated here in the early days of our nation, leaving behind the powdered wig wearing sissy
boys. Now for the serious part.

As I write this, it is now day 13 of the out-of-control rioting taking place across France. For years the
French have allowed waves of Muslims to migrate to their fair land and they're now paying the piper.

Humans by nature are clannish. If a fight breaks out or a disagreement arises, our first inclination is to
take sides based upon ethnicity. Here in the states, we still deal with those tendencies to separate by
race.

There's a big difference though between what we're currently seeing in France and what has transpired
over the centuries in America.

Despite the history of slavery in this nation… despite the years of segregation… despite the suspicion
with which some whites and blacks view each other… we have a common history going back to the
beginnings of this nation.

We speak the same language. We watch many of the same movies and TV shows. In essence, we
grew up in the same culture. Plus most people of both races identify themselves as Christians.
Despite our differences we are very much alike and most of us consider ourselves to be Americans
first.

The problems in France are the result of millions of legal and illegal immigrants primarily of North
African lineage.

They come from a different culture; many speak a different language; they have remained isolated from
French society and culture instead of blending in; and most worship the god of Islam. Many harbor ill
feelings against Europeans that can be traced back many centuries to the Crusades.

It's easy to see how seeds of discontent fanned by the flames of Islamo-fascism erupted into the
French chaos we now see.

One only has to look at the growing number of illegal Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. for it to raise
concerns that similar violence could erupt in our own land at some point in the future.

Instead of assimilating themselves into American culture, many Hispanics tend to remain isolated.
They read Spanish language newspapers; watch Spanish language television; and listen to Hispanic
radio.

Some of the Mexican illegals still harbor resentment against Americans going back to the Mexican
War. Some envision that Hispanics will retake Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, southern California and
other areas of the southwest… and there are groups actively pushing this ideology.

My French ancestor had the good sense to leave that cesspool we now call France. Our problem is
there are no more new continents out there that we can escape to so as to avoid the coming
Balkanization of America. I guess our only choice is to deal with the problem of illegal immigration
now…