Are You Socially Responsible?

Social responsibility is voluntary—it’s about going above and beyond the call to action by taking a proactive approach toward a problem rather than a reactive one. Social responsibility means eliminating corrupt, irresponsible or unethical behavior that might bring harm to the community, its people or the environment before the behavior happens.

One part of social responsibility involves being responsible to people, for the actions of people, and for actions that affect people. The issue of social responsibility recently was brought to the forefront with Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback Michael Vick’s federal indictment on interstate dog fighting conspiracy.

The indictment outlined horrific and disgusting details of his function in bankrolling the enterprise—including the hanging, drowning and electrocution of underperforming dogs. He initially denied involvement, but entered a guilty plea in August after his codefendants rolled over for the prosecution. Vick’s attorneys and prosecutors agreed to a recommended sentencing guideline of 12 to18 months in prison. A judge will have the final say in December and could sentence him to five years in the big house.

In addition to losing millions in lucrative endorsement deals, Vick lost face as one of the NFL’s premier players and is no longer considered a socially responsible role model. Vick claims to be an animal lover, and many suggest he can redeem himself by working with animals. I hope he gets enough prison time to think about social responsibility. I hope he changes and is truly remorseful. But I still wouldn’t let him within 5 miles of my dogs.

The second half of social responsibility is the idea that a company has significantly more responsibility to the environment and to the world around it than an individual because companies by nature act on a far larger scale. The issue of “going green” has been a hot topic for a number of years. Now, more and more individuals and companies are making ecologically-conscious decisions and maintaining a way of life that proactively looks to reduce global warming.

This month, LOOKING FIT® sat down with a few green-minded companies in the industry to learn more about how salons can do their part to lower the environmental impact of indoor tanning by recycling, using energy-efficient beds and buying environmentally-friendly products. Look for more topics in future issues, and feel free to contact us if you are doing your part to live green. We’d love to share your story.

We also look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming ITA Tanning World Expo, Oct. 11-14 in Nashville, Tenn. Please stop by Booth 365 to meet our fantastic team.

Be Socially Responsible—Think Green And Don’t Be Mean.

Judie Bizzozero 
Group Editorial Director