I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO KNOW the laws in a city before I drive there to busk.  What if they require an expensive and percentage of the gross.  Maybe they'd rather lock up street performers! So I can save myself quite a bit of trouble and energy by making my own directory of cities within traveling distance.  Here's what I did...

I identified on a map 70 cities within a couple hundred miles, and addressed requests for photocopies of laws or ordinances concerning street performers to their City Halls. The results were little short of spectacular. Of those 70, 5 mailed copies of vagrancy, trespassing and disturbing the peace laws. Not one other word.  I mailed them their copies asking specifically what these criminal offences had to do with street performing.  No response (and I wrote twice).

I did have four very positive responses.  Owensboro, Ky., requires a $75 permit and 10 percent of the gross. Newport, Ky., and Mansfield, Ohio, welcome street performers.  Huntington, W.Va., takes the cake. The former mayor and district attorney is a top magician who actually met Houdini! Huntington is a very appreciative and classy town, worthy of your best performances.

I addressed five subsequent letters to state attorneys general's offices. They answered that 'Iz noh my johb, man.' They don't deal with city governments, and I'll have to find out from each city their own laws. They did say that the states had no laws prohibiting street performing, but counties and cities make their own rules.

Fighting for our rights legally can be fun and relaxing. We have much to gain just from making the courts and public aware that we care. Public inertia and insensitivity make them unwilling and lethargic opponents. How many unjust laws have been passed simply because no one complained loud enough or exposed its unfairness. The potential's ours, if we act.

IN OUR PRECARIOUSLY BALANCED and tortuously evolved universe, complex, dynamic patterns among inanimate objects essentially occur in nature at the macro or micro levels.

For example, the sun can virtually indefinitely keep nine planets (with satellites and extraneous cosmic debris) in simultaneous elliptical orbits. At the other extreme, the interactions among molecules, atoms and the various subatomic particles and electromagnetic waves are equally impressive.

Clearly the only thing comparable vis-a­vis everyday sized objects and time frames is juggling. Thus, the skill and artistry we share is unique and to some extent, a graphic reflection of fundamental universal forces.

Unfortunately, the tragic misuse of these forces now threatens not only juggling, but all of civilization. The nuclear fusion reactions that power our sun are different only in scale from the thermonuclear destruction that stands ready and waiting to be unleashed in the ongoing struggle for planetary domination.

According to the Center for Defense Information, a successful nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union became technically feasible in the U.S. in 1974. Since then, it has been official U.S. policy to prepare to fight and win a nuclear war. As human beings and jugglers, we have the obligation and the power to work to prevent global conflagration.

What can we do? First of all, we are fortunate enough to live in a society in which we have the freedom to participate in public debate on the important issues affecting our lives. Exercising this freedom and speaking out to public officials is everyone's responsibility. Your opinions can affect government policy only if they are communicated either directly to Congress and the White House, or indirectly through letters to the editor or a radio call in show. It's easier than you think to make your opinions known. Contrary to popular belief, politicians take a strong interest in their mail.

Writing letters, however, is not the only way to influence policy. Despite what you may hear from trendy revisionist historians, demonstrations and civil disobedience played a key role in ending the Viet Name war. If you see anti-nuke activities that are 'vaguely reminiscent of the '60's', there may be a good reason for it. For information about issues and direct action, contact Mobilization for Survival, N.Y., N.Y.   This is only one of many anti-nuke groups. Pick one you like.

Although these usual grass roots lobbying tactics are necessary, we as jugglers can make vital contributions to the peace movement. Including anti-nuclear patter in your routines can create a show that is both entertaining and politically active. Point out the absurdities in the huge war budget and nuclear utilization theory. Keep in mind that power plants generate tons of waste and fissionable material. What would juggling be like after or during a nuclear war?

Obviously, the possibilities are endless and more creative jugglers might even be able to get the message across without words. Although successfully combining politics with art and humor is a difficult challenge, it is the most effective way to communicate.

Finally, I want to make it clear that I have no delusions about the Soviet Union. I realize I could lose my job or be put in jail for writing a letter like this in an Eastern Block country. This, however, is not a good reason to have a nuclear war.

Since it is we who live in an open society, we bear the greater burden. We have the responsibility to speak out and act even while the repressed, unofficial Soviet peace movement cannot. Let's stop and reverse the arms race while we still can. Remember, fallout shelters have extremely low ceilings.