Coverage of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., inspires many things: rage, nausea, and in some cases, the hurling of objects at TV screens. But, I never expected it to inspire brilliant, impassioned prose from a top Utah lawyer. ---

On his Facebook page Wednesday evening, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill posted the following:

"The hopes of my existential ennui being mercifully drowned in the depth of political discourse emanating from Tampa were Utopian at best. The theater of the absurd performs well with a certain comfort knowing that there is no the deep end of the pool. It must be liberating to know that words no longer have to convey any meaning or be burdened by reason. I suppose, this is a form of existential freedom from Reason . . . a tabula rasa of the mind, if you will, uncluttered by the weight of logical inference or social responsibility. The dock of the center square no longer a threat, personal shame no longer a deterrent and public utterances unburdened from the possible hubris of reason, logic, compassion or accountability. What wondrous new narratives are racing even now through space for other civilizations developing technologies to decipher the majesty of a people from a distant planet. Even now, our words are speeding to the ear of God. What pride we must all feel, overwhelming us in anticipation of the opportunity to boast our reasoned compassion, our generosity of spirit at the feet of Reason and History one day. Won't they be all so proud? What will you tell them of your time here?"

I think it's genuine, and Sim Gill is writing on two different levels. That's what makes it brilliant: Not only is he parodying the doublespeak of the Republican politicos -- and doing it much better than those anti-intellectuals ever could -- but he's actually making a valid point about what happens when the meaning of political discourse goes off the rails. As one who has been known to turn an ornate phrase or two, often to the bewilderment of readers, I admire a writer who dares to do the same thing. 

It's nothing less than a powerful, poetic rant, breathtaking in metaphorical scope and pulsating with energy -- not the sort of thing one normally encounters in Facebook posts, even from district attorneys. 

I've always admired D.A. Gill -- he's definitely one of the good ones -- but until tonight, I don't think I ever fully appreciated his writing skills. All I have to say is bravo, Sim Gill, bravo!