OPINION POLLS HAVE FOR YEARS SHOWN THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS IN FAVOR OF STRONG GUN CONTROLS, YET LEGISLATION HAS REPEATEDLY BEEN SUCCESSFULLY BLOCKED BY THE POWERFUL GUN LOBBY. A GREAT DEAL OF THE LOBBY'S POWER LIES IN ITS GRASSROOTS FOLLOWING -- 1 MILLION NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, 21 MILLION HUNTERS, AND AN ESTIMATED 60 MILLION AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS WHICH HAVE GUNS. THIS FOLLOWING CAN BE CALLED UPON TO WRITE LETTERS TO CONGRESS AND TO 'PUNISH' POLITICIANS WHO SUPPORT STRICT CONTROLS. IN ORDER FOR GUN CONTROL EFFORTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THEY MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CHARACTER AND MOTIVATIONS OF THIS MASS FOLLOWING. SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN THAT APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE POPULATION OWN A GUN AND THAT HALF OF THESE WOULD SUPPORT SOME FORM OF GUN CONTROL, SUCH AS REQUIRING A POLICE PERMIT TO BUY A GUN. THUS GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE AND SUPPORT A DEGREE OF CONTROL WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THESE PEOPLE. ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF THE GUN-OWNING PUBLIC SHOWN BY SURVEYS IS THAT THEY ARE PRIMARILY RURAL AND SOUTHERN. ABOUT 62 PERCENT OF FAMILIES IN THE SOUTH OWN A GUN, COMPARED WITH 40 PERCENT OWNERSHIP IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF RURAL RESIDENTS OWN GUNS, COMPARED TO ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF URBAN RESIDENTS. HOWEVER, EVEN AMONG RURAL WHITE SOUTHERNERS, GENERALLY THOUGHT TO BE THE MOST ADAMANT ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS TO POSSESS FIREARMS, A SIZABLE MAJORITY OF GUN OWNERS STILL SUPPORT SOME FORM OF GUN CONTROL. SURVEYS OF RESIDENTS OF URBAN AREAS, WHERE GUNS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE OWNED FOR PROTECTION THAN FOR SPORT, SHOW THAT THEIR ANTICIPATION OF CRIME IS THE GREATEST DETERMINANT OF WHETHER THEY OWN A GUN. THOSE WHO ARE NERVOUS ABOUT CRIME, WHO ARE HOSTILE TOWARD WELFARE AND PUNITIVE TOWARD CRIMINALS, AND WHO DO NOT ACTUALLY LIVE AMONG BLACKS BUT FEAR THAT SOMEDAY THEY MIGHT WERE FOUND TO BE MOST LIKELY TO OWN A GUN. THOSE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED A CRIME ARE LESS LIKELY TO OWN ONE, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN THE FUTILITY OF OWNING A GUN AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE. GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES SHOULD MAKE USE OF THIS FACT BY MOBILIZING CRIMINALLY VICTIMIZED PERSONS IN SUPPORT OF GUN CONTROL, IN ORDER TO DISSIPATE OPPONENTS' 'SELF-DEFENSE' ARGUMENTS. A FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT OUTSIDE THE SOUTH, THE MOST HEAVILY ARMED SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION ARE WHITE PROTESTANTS WITH ANNUAL INCOMES OF $20,000 OR MORE. THIS GROUP CONTAINS A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF CITIZENS WHO ARE POLITICALLY ACTIVE AND VOCAL AND WHO ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO VOICE THEIR OPPOSITION TO GUN CONTROL IN THE FORM OF LETTERS TO CONGRESS. IT APPEARS UNLIKELY THAT THIS GROUP CAN BE ENLISTED IN THE GUN CONTROL EFFORT, AND THEY REPRESENT PERHAPS THE GREATEST SINGLE BARRIER TO EFFECTIVE GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION. (VDA)