Who taught: Scott Pelley

Sterilization (source: http://www.babble.com/)

My daily life is pretty much a routine. Sounds boring? Well, but I like everything being organized and do not like to see something unexpected. And, one of the things I do almost every day is watching NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News. It is a great way to listen to English as well as to learn what is happening now in the world.

Today, I learned a total new meaning of this word, sterilization. To me, this word has simply one definition as follows.

to destroy microorganisms in or on, usually by bringing to a high temperature with steam, dry heat, or boiling liquid.

This sounds very good and I sort of liked this word even though I do not have many chances to use it. Now, let me ask this question to you, my non-native English speaker friends? Do you know any other definitions of this word than this? As I said, till today, I thought this word has only this definition above.

As I watch today’s CBS Evening News, they used this word saying, “A sterilization victim in North Carolina.” I did not understand at all. What kind of victim would there be with sterilization, meaning the definition above? NC state put people into a huge room where the temperature was too high so that the people were burn? As I listened more, I was able to realize that it must mean something else and that must be related with having a baby.

So, I looked it up and found a total new definition.

to destroy the ability of (a person or animal) to reproduce by removing the sex organs or inhibiting their functions.

OMG! How could that kind of thing happen by the order of government? Here is a little history lesson for you in relation to this type of sterilization happened in the U.S. between 1920’s and 1970’s.

I would have never imagined that this kind of acts existed in the U.S. Maybe, it is time for me to study American history.