Doing the right thing

Sh'vuot has come and gone. It is time to think about next year. I know that we have a few days of fast and Tish'a B'Av before we get to the month of Elul. (When we begin to prepare ourselves spiritually for the High Holy Days.) But acting in an ethical manner is always a Mitzvah.
What does that mean? Well for one in business practices. Doing the right thing obviously means not to steal  or/and cheat. But what if it isn't always so obvious? I know that the financial melt down has caused a lot of anger. "Wall Street" and all the criticism, there is no end to how much we can go on about their immoral behavior and how they made a huge profit on throwing the world into a recession. Causing a financial melt down for several families that still do not see a way out yet. I agree with all that has been said about them and I do not wish to repeat it here. 
I believe that what will immensely help is MUSSAR. Our values. Nobody can change the behavior of somebody else. The most we can do is try to influence them. If it works it is not in our hands. But everybody with a conscious can and should be more ethical. Everybody can shop in a more ethical way. Spending an hour with a knowledgeable salesperson than buying it at a warehouse or online for a better price means that you are not supporting working people. If you can hire somebody then HIRE them. If you are fortunate to be in a position that you can employ somebody do it and do it quickly. Don't take advantage of the person and offer a ridiculous salary BE FAIR. Buy handmade, as much as possible. Here are just a few links: artfire.com etsy.com My own stores for hand made Judaica are: RuthFiberJudaica.artfire.com and RuthFiberJudaica.etsy.com
This is just the beginning. Often, we will have to think about what we our doing. This will not be painful. It requires looking around us, prioritizing and being grateful that you have this opportunity to make a difference.