VANCOUVER - A Green candidate for the next federal election says he was just being "symbolic" when he wrote a column in 2002 cheering the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Kevin Potvin said Friday it should be obvious that he wasn't happy with the deaths of the thousands killed that day.
Potvin is the publisher and editor of the alternative Vancouver newspaper The Republic.
In November 2002, he wrote a column saying that when he saw the first of the World Trade Centre towers fall Sept. 11, 2001, "there was a little voice inside me that said 'Yeah!'
"When the second tower came down the same way, that little voice said 'Beautiful.'
"When the visage of the Pentagon appeared on the TV with a gaping and smoking hole in its side, that little voice had nearly taken me over and I felt an urge to pump my fist in the air."
The column goes on to say "I know lots of people were killed. But then again, I see lots of people getting killed whenever I turn the TV news on, and frankly, it doesn't really get me anymore."
Potvin said Friday he didn't mean he was dismissing the deaths.
"If you read the story that I wrote, you'll notice that I'm talking about it on a symbolic level," he said.
"I go to great pains to make clear that I'm not talking about the deaths of anybody. After all, as you can imagine, I'm a human being. I'm a father, I'm a hockey dad, I'm a businessman, I'm a community leader. I'm obviously not going to be revelling in the deaths of anybody."
In his column, Potvin said the number of people killed on Sept. 11, 2001, isn't the reason why those attacks were such an important event.
Lots of people die every day in lots of places like Rwanda and in the United States, he wrote.
"The only reason Sept. 11 merits so much attention is because the targets were so supremely symbolic. Corporatism and militarism were struck that morning, and that's why it's such big news."
He also wrote that he is not alone in his belief.
But on Friday, Potvin appeared insulted that anyone would suggest his column meant he was jubilant about the violence and killing. He noted he entitled the column A Revolting Confession because he was repelled by his own thoughts.
"Obviously, as a human to human here, you know that I'm not using beautiful in that sense," he said in an interview.
After parts of his column were reproduced in newspaper articles Friday, Potvin issued a clarification but he never disavowed his sentiments in the statement or a following interview.
"If you're asking 'do I weasel away from things I've said in the past?' No, I'm a man of my word and I stand by what I say," he said.
"I don't always agree with what I say. . . I change my mind when new information comes along. I'm a politician who changes my mind."
Potvin was acclaimed as the candidate for the east Vancouver riding of Vancouver-Kingsway, a seat currently held by Conservative MP David Emerson.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she found the statements in Potvin's column "shocking."
She wondered whether news reports had taken him out of context and said she'd give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
But she added: "If those reflect his real views, he will not be a candidate for the Green Party."
Potvin said he intends to run, despite the controversy.
He said the House of Commons is precisely the place for debate on differing ideas.
"Don't you think the Parliament of Canada requires people that are free thinkers, independent thinkers and people that bring other points of view to the table besides those that are commonly accepted and those that are credentialed by the newspaper columnists?"
