Michelle, I applaud you for setting the record straight. I was disgusted with the article calling Jacob "Mr. White Boy". This would have never have been printed if Jacob were black or Asian. Can you imagine the Mountain View Voice headlining a front page article with "Mr Asian Boy was a Norteno"? It would never happen. I agree with you that your family deserves respect and privacy during this difficult time.

Enough of this dribble already! White, black, asian, latino, who cares. The best way to keep your children out of the newspaper and to get people to respect you and your privacy is to keep them out of trouble! It's one hec of a lesson to learn. Start there and move forward. Lay off the paper. Jacob DeWitt is the one who's sitting in jail! You're setting his devastated parents up for far more ridicule if he is found out to be guilty as charged. In the meantime, it is in every interest of the community to have this story in the paper. For God's sake he's accused of attempted murder in a gangland sytle knife attack. White Boy, Homey, Ese, Bro, just turn on MTV if you don't understand the use of the term. What's next, you're going to defend the 20-year old African American rapist from Palo Alto who recntly attacked the Asian girl. Protest the police department or the justice system if you say DeWitt is so innocent. When you're done think of the families of the victims and how they must feel.

parents fighting parents, children fighting children.. next babies will start will start fighting, crying, soiling themselves.. oh wait..

Michelle, you are my hero. I admit I am a little biased, having known you well for 24 years now, because I know first-hand how incredibly hard you have always worked to raise your sons. You have done everything a mother can do to raise her kids right. You have always put your own needs aside and done everything, EVERYTHING, for your boys' well-being.
But it takes real courage to stand up and say what you feel about this in a public forum. Other mothers might have wilted and let the pain only deepen at the hands of thoughtless TWITS like this Maureen whats-her-name (I don't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing her name printed once again, even in a negative setting.)
It is senseless that people come to absurd conclusions about people they never even knew. And that silly -person's- reverse racism is intolerable! I am appalled that it got past the editors of the MV Voice. If it was about an African American, what would the headline have been? I shudder to think.
One thing you might have mentioned in your excellent reply (wish I could have seen Muriel's face turning red) is the fact that this mindless woman's article has helped single you out and identify YOU to adversarial gang members who, like her, assume people are guilty until proven innocent. Her front-page words have now endangered you. On top of the rest of your ordeal, this is absolutely reprehensible. You are owed a HUGE apology.
You are very strong, Michelle - the strongest woman I know, in fact. I have watched you raise two beautiful sons. You have sacrified so much. Don't let mindless bigots like Ms. High-n-Mighty get to you. Take care.

TO ENOUGH

YOU COMMENT EVERY CHANCE YOU HAVE. WERE YOU BORN WITH A NAME? ARE YOU SCARED TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF. IT IS GETTING OLD READING YOUR IGNORANT COMMENTS. WHO CARES WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. NOBODY DOES. BUTT OUT. GET A LIFE.

ENOUGH,

ARE YOU THAT STUPID? DEWITT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. YOU DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CASE. TO PREVENT YOURSELF FROM LOOKING MORE STUPID, PLEASE SAVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR ANOTHER STORY, AS I HAVE NOTICED YOU COMMENT ON MOST STORIES.

BOB WALKER

Bob:

If you haven't noticed this is a place to post opinions about stories that appear in the paper. You may use any member name you wish. If you read more carefully you'd notice I say "IF he is found to be guilty", and that "he's accused of attempted murder". Write a post directed at the editor, if you disagree with something that appears in the paper or are upset with the dialectics found in posts.

Are people just that upset to see a "white boy" (quoted from the Voice), or rather an Anglo-American looking half hispanic, get in this much trouble? I've never seen this much out pouring for the many latinos that get into trouble in this community. Nor do I ever see residents of the outlying neighborhoods, like Old Mountain View on one end or the quasi-gated Crossings community on the other venture onto the side streets and into the barrios of California Ave. trying to rescue young potential gang members from a life of crime.

Mary: What a weird thing to say. Doe Dewitt's mom need to fear being singled you out and identified by adversarial gang members.

All the pro-DeWitt posts make it out like that he was never in a gang. If she has done EVERYTHING for her boys then what happened????

I'm sorry, but something's missing here.

To the "real parent"

What's missing is apparently you do not know Jacob's mother. You are a finger pointer and really you have no room to speak.

Oh, and real parent, I hope your children grow up crime free, even after they are an adult. Be assured if that is not the case, I will be the first to comment and point fingers at YOU.

Give Jacob's mother the respect she deserves and don't comment unless you personally know her. Mountain View has a lot of rude and nosey residents who jump to voice their opinion before they know ALL the facts.

An old neighbor

Jacob's old neigbor:

oh please!! you make it sound like kids getting caught up in crime is the norm,

believe it or not most people are able to live crime free its all about having good moral values

i have little sympathy for a this tatoo'd DeWitt

the best of our youth are fighting the war in Iraq not getting involved in gangs or crime

Talk about weird. "A Real Mother" wrote: "Doe Dewitt's mom need to fear being singled you out and identified by adversarial gang members."

Is it just me, or does this sentence make no sense?

As for being a "real" mother, are you implying that Jacob's mom is not? Because I can vouch for her - she is very real.

You wrote: "All the pro-DeWitt posts make it out like that he was never in a gang." Which post denies Jacob's teenage involvement with a gang?

Really, WHO are YOU to blame a mother you have never met, and judge HER by what her son has -allegedly- done? How old are your kids? Are they "real", like you? Are they perfect? Do they have blue eyes and long eyelashes? Have they never been in any trouble? Do you take all the credit for their behavior?

Or do you suppose there just may be outside factors that can influence a child, no matter how well their parents care for them?

For Real Mother,

Actually I meant that bad luck could happen to anyone. Jacob's mother did not ask for this to happen. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, DUI's (which are easy to get these days), medications that may trigger something, etc. This is very sad for Jacob's family and you degrade Jacob. Jacob does have a family living in Mountain View that is devastated over this situation. Reading comments like yours is just absurd. Please have respect for them. If you can't say anything nice about someone don't anything at all.

Tell me Real Mother exactly what tattoo's does Jacob have? And the location of these tattoo's?

Yah just as I thought. You have absolutely no knowledge on Jacob. If you knew Jacob personally, you would not see any tattoo's and you would know that he was raised with high morals and that he is a very caring intelligent young man. Jacob was also a high achiever in his studies. Before you form your warped opinion, keep in mind, you don't know Jacob DeWitt enough to comment. I have no sympathy for you.

Oh and Jacob is not a youth, he is an adult.

I have read all of the stories from the beginning, and all I can think to say is that it can happen to anyone's child. My son was a good friend of Jacob's all through elementary school at Landels. They skateboarded together sun-up to sundown many days. Jacob spent many nights at our house and I knew Michelle and Frank (the guy that so many people thought was Jacob's dad, but were mistaken). I just think it is sad that this has turned into such an attack on Michelle. Jacob, like any child had his issues. Could Michelle have done anything different that could have prevented Jacob from going to the gang life? Maybe, but hindsight is 20/20 and all I know is what I saw from the outside. I did not live in their house so I honestly do not know what more she could have done. She was definately involved in his life, as was Frank. Michelle not only participated in Elementary school events, like baking cookies and all that... she also worked at the middle school. Jacob was into baseball and skateboarding and all the stuff that alot of boys did at that age. He also maintained a 4.0 average in school. But obviously something happened that caused him to stray. I don't know what it was and it is none of my business. I wish everyone would just respect the family during this time and let them deal with their own family issues. I am sure none of your families are without issues and I know that you would not want them posted all over the newspaper for everyone else to read. Is he guilty or innocent? I wasn't there to see what happened so I don't know. That is for the court to decide. But no matter what happens, his life will never be the same.

Your comment was well put. I agree with everything you said. Way to go!!!

In the space of six months (September 2007 to February 2008) there have been two homicides in Mountain View in addition to the DeWitt attempted murder case. The last homicide in Mountain View was in 2005, a gang-related homicide that took the life of a 14-year old. The September homicide was gang related and involved young men that grew up in Mountain View. We've yet to see if the homicide this month was gang related, but odds are pretty good it will also turn out to be gang related. Get a clue. Violent gang-related crime is on the rise in Mountain View whether you like it or not, so instead of attacking me, attack the problem and offer us some solutions.

ENOUGH

WHO CARES

Enough! wrote:

"You're setting his devastated parents up for far more ridicule if he is found out to be guilty as charged."

This is a textbook example of why our society is going down the crapper. People who ridicule a neighbor family's pain are like warts on civilization. Our cities are being ruined by people like you, who have minds of slush and hearts of black stone.

Enough! wrote:

"Violent gang-related crime is on the rise in Mountain View whether you like it or not,"

Like, smog?

"... so instead of attacking me, attack the problem and offer us some solutions."

Okay, so let's hear yours.

To Real Mother.
As a parent of grown up kids I can tell You that we raise our kids one way and the they might go the other.
I wish Your kids come up fine. But if not I will be glad so You will feel the pain this parents are feeling.