In response to April Hurst’s letter to the editor (“Self-checkout machinges are ruining local jobs,” published Aug. 14, 2019): The Industrial Age was the beginning of machines ruining jobs, as she expressed it, for millions of people. Self-checkout machines are simply a natural progression of the reality that as more machines are invented for different purposes, more people will not have jobs. If a machine can take the place of a human, it will. If another technological advance eliminates the need for human labor or interaction, it will.

This is called progress. What is its price? Modern man wants more material goods at lower prices and more leisure time. Eventually, only those who have been able to invest in machinery and technology or own it, will have the means to purchase goods and have leisure time to enjoy them. One day, those resources will be available only to the super rich while the majority of people will be impoverished.

But you can’t stop progress, can you?

Elaine Biggerstaff

Bonney Lake