Timothy McVeigh wants an animal rights group to know that he is sympathetic to their cause, and he believes in "respect for the life you take to sustain yourself."

McVeigh, who has referred to the children killed in the Oklahoma City bombing as "collateral damage," wrote to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals saying that he understands their cause, even though he doesn't fully share their opinion.

"I cannot sustain a prolonged intellectual debate on the subject as my time is short, but I suggest hitting Ted Kaczynski up for his opinions on the subject," McVeigh said in his letter to PETA.

McVeigh went on to provide the Colorado prison address for Kaczynski, the Unabomber. The two were held in the same federal maximum-security prison in Florence, Colo., before McVeigh was moved to the federal death row.

McVeigh's case was heard in Denver because of questions about whether he could get a fair trail in Oklahoma.

McVeigh's letter was in response to a March request by PETA that his final meals at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute be meatless. The request caught the attention of the media, and apparently McVeigh, who's scheduled to die May 16.

In a letter to Bruce Friedrich, PETA's vegan campaign coordinator, McVeigh wrote: "Truth is, I understand your cause -- I've seen slaughterhouses myself -- but I still believe in reasonable taking and eating of game (as an outdoorsman and hunter.)"

McVeigh went on to raise questions about where people in "the 'veg' movement" draw the line. "Where do those who oppose suffering stand?" McVeigh wrote. "(Ever see a fish struggling out of water?) What about grubs/worms/etc.?"

The man responsible for killing 168 people by bombing the Oklahoma City federal building even noted that plants are alive and respond to stimuli, just as an animal would respond to pain.

McVeigh called on American Indian beliefs of the circle of life to sum up his opinions: "To me, the answer is as the Indians believed: respect for the life you take to sustain yourself, but come to terms with your place in the 'food chain.'"

McVeigh made no mention in the letter that he plans to stop eating meat. Friedrich said Monday that he wasn't exactly sure how PETA feels about having McVeigh on their side.

"I don't know what it means for the vegan movement if Timothy McVeigh, in his final days, adopts a vegan diet," he said. "But I think it would be very positive for his soul."

Previous Stories:

• April 5, 2001: McVeigh Psychiatrist Says Bomber Envisioned Dying In Shootout
• March 30, 2001: McVeigh Juror Reacts To New Book
• March 30, 2001: McVeigh Admits Bombing, Calls Children 'Collateral Damage'
• March 29, 2001: Bombing Survivor Calls McVeigh 'Sociopath'
• March 26, 2001: McVeigh Attorney May Testify Against Co-Conspirator
• March 19, 2001: Judge OKs McVeigh Autopsy Agreement
• February 16, 2001: McVeigh Allows Clemency Deadline To Pass