Workplace Violence and Peacemaking Solutions

While many of the examples offered in alternative rock indie queen Alanis Morissette's hit single "Ironic" suggested she might have misunderstood the word, few would argue that an educational symposium on workplace violence sponsored by the United States Postal Service doesn't qualify as "ironic." After all, the phrase "going postal" has pretty much officially entered the slang lexicon as a description of someone who has gone bonkers (possibly violently so). Filmed in 1995, Workplace Violence and Peacemaking Solutions is a made-for-local-cable production out of Tallahassee, FL, put on by the USPS, which features a panel of experts discussing the causes and costs of workplace violence, as well as preventive measures. The USPS is understandably a little miffed over the relentless bad press, since--as they point out--post offices are not in the top ten high risk industries (frankly, however, I wouldn't expect the level of violence in the post office to be anywhere near that of the major crime locations listed: taxicabs, grocery stores, liquor stores, gas stations, jewelry stores, hotels & motels, and so on). While there are some good suggestions made, the problems which plague many panel discussions are seen in full force here: namely, a lot of the remarks are repetitious to the point of utter tedium, the organization of the program tends to be loose (to be polite), and many members of the audience look as if attendance was required (which I strongly suspect). Ultimately, the program is too focused on the USPS (Florida offices, to be specific) and its jewels of wisdom too few and far between to warrant the investment of 90 minutes of a viewer's time. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)