With a kind heart, father Richard Cooke wishes it to be known that in the event of Adam's next attempt at gainful employment comes to a grinding halt as Adam once again decides his status in life entitles him to rewrite the rule book of a multi-national, $9bn company thus bringing them more over to his way of thinking, then Adam will have the comfort and dubious satisfaction of knowing father Richard is behind him all the way.

Says Richard: "I'd be a pretty poor father if I didn't give him my 100 per cent support in the matter."

Mr Cooke, you are so wrong.

When my boys were of a young age I told them both I was not their friend. Friends were there for the making outside the home, in their own time, in their own space, and for good or ill, free of my influence. I was the fella who had to tell them the things they didn't want to hear and life was too short for deaf ears.

Years went by until one day they were both due home on their first leave from the Royal Marines and my thinking, this is it, pay back time.

Instead, I found myself in the company of two 'gentle giants' with a respect for their father that was almost humbling.

Both boys are in civvy street now, the eldest having served his full 22, the other on invalidity pension having been on one tour too many.

Much like Adam, the youngest has taken to sporting a small earring, the difference being he has the discipline to remove it when asked by his employers.

Our children rely on us for tough love, Mr Cook, but it all comes right in the end.

The last Christmas dinner that saw three generations at the table, my eldest son just looked at me and then quietly said: 'It was all an act dad, wasn't it?''

"Of course it was, son," I replied, "of course it was."

Pat Williams,

Southover Way, Hunston

I have the Chichester Observer sent to me here in the United States, and have been following the story about the Enterprise Rent-a-Car employee who was fired for wearing an earring.

You can't tell me that in this day and age, when the concept of customer service is becoming a dim memory and good, solid, reliable, honest, intelligent and hard-working employees are becoming as rare as rubies, that a single, tiny, thin, gold hoop is enough to merit sacking such an employee.

It's time for the law to change and for Enterprise to get their priorities in line, because as it stands now, this decision is just indicative of some bad, bad judgment.

Amy J Patten, Hudson, New York

It is not the 'triviality of the small hoop of gold' that is the issue, but the policies of the organisation.

As Adam grows up, he will have to learn that in the working world you have to conform to whatever your particular employer wants.

Adam is lucky to have found one who can tolerate a male wearing an earring.

M Cameron, Chalk Lane, Sidlesham





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