DR. WALLACE: I'm really tired of us guys taking a browbeating in your column and I'm sure most guys feel the same way. All those stories about "poor girls" being taken advantage of by us "mean guys" make me sick.

Let me tell you about these "poor girls." One of their old tricks is to go out with us only to make their ex-boyfriends jealous. Many times this causes us to get into fistfights. And how about the gold diggers who make us pay for everything and then don't even say, "Thank you"?

What do you think about the girls who wear slinky, skin-tight clothes and then complain if we get a little aggressive? And girls have been known to collect as many friendship rings as possible just to keep all of them. (Diamonds are a girl's best friend).

I'm sure you realize that some females are known to break as many hearts as they can. They collect broken hearts the way a gunslinger counts victims.

I realize that all boys are not perfect, but neither are the girls. Personally, I don't think you will print this letter. But at least I got this off of my chest. — Tom, Ames, Iowa.

TOM: Sounds like you've been a "victim" of girls who like to take advantage of guys! Hang in there. There are many young ladies who expect to be treated as caring, intelligent equals and they prefer guys with the same characteristics. You just haven't been looking in the right places.

SNOOPING IS NOT PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

DR. WALLACE: I don't believe in your "parents shouldn't snoop" philosophy. My daughter is straight as an arrow because I snoop and she knows it. I really don't think I'll ever find anything bad when I snoop. I call snooping "preventive medicine." My daughter is physically and mentally healthy because I take the time to snoop. If more parents would take the time to snoop, we would have a lot fewer juvenile delinquents. — Snoopy Mother, Topeka, Kans.

MOTHER: I receive many letters from both parents and teens on the merits of snooping. There comes a time when snooping is necessary: when a teen violates parental trust or when his or her behavior warrants stringent supervision.

But snooping for its own sake often causes a strong confrontation between parent and child and leaves the child feeling betrayed. A teen's privacy is important. Parents who have honest and open communication with their children are unlikely to feel the need to snoop.

TEENS ARE A MOST CARING GROUP

DR. WALLACE: I was interested in the letter from the two 15-year-old girls who were bored. They were tired of going to the mall to kill time and wanted something exciting to do. I've got the perfect remedy. I'm an 88-year-"young" lady who spends much time at a local senior citizens' center. We would love to chat with teens and share our wisdom, experience, and love with them. I guarantee these teens won't become bored. It's a definite win-win situation for them and for us. — Grandmother, Milwaukee, Wis.

GRANDMOTHER: You offer a splendid suggestion. Teens are a most caring group and I'm positive many will take advantage of your generous offer.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.