Drafted Minor
1969 · D.C.A. 101 · USA
- Artist
- Gary Laster
- Title
- Drafted Minor
- Release
- A Drafted Minor / The Riddle
- Year
- 1969
- Label
- D.C.A. # 101
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Roshell Frazher
- Genre
- Pop · Pop
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The track "A Drafted Minor" (D.C.A. Records # 101) focused on the discrepancy between the draft age and such things as the voting age, the drinking age, and the ability to take out a loan and drive a car in the US. Narrated from the perspective of a soldier, the singer told the listener that he received a draft card from Uncle Sam to "fight for his country" and, thus he "went to Vietnam". There he saw his friends die. The song fits into the anti-draft camp, and also leans towards the anti-war side of the debate. The song referred to 1-A - this was the classification for those "eligible for military service", established in 1971 (under the Military Selective Service Act of 1967). The other classifications were 1-AO (Conscientious Objector available for non-combatant military service), and 1-O (Conscientious Objector available for alternate community service). This 1971 amendment also required all males to register within a period of 30 days before of 29 days after their 18th birthday. It should be noted that the voting age was eventually extended for the 1972 presidential election.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Unknown - the record is documented but the performer is not. 'A Drafted Minor' (written by Roshelle Frazier) was issued on D.C.A. 101, backed with 'The Riddle', distributed by Chart Records; no biographical record has been located for Gary Laster. [Source: Discogs (release only)]