I was brainstorming my article for today, wondering what it is that really matters to me, when I decided to read some Odyssey articles for inspiration. What I found was a debate between feminists and self-proclaimed "NOT-feminists" that basically led to nowhere and will continue to lead to nowhere, whether or not I address it today. But I'll address it anyway.

It's okay to be a feminist, and it's okay to not be a feminist, but women should respect each other regardless.

I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but you'd be surprised. Articles like this one openly attack feminism with arguments like "why can't women take a compliment?" and calling feminist tactics "some leftist gob of drama." And the other side has its flaws too, like saying that all non-feminists' arguments "harbor lingering misogynistic viewpoints and ideologies."

The anger needs to stop, and the reason why is simple: We're all on the same team.

What all people who care about other people want, in the end, is for all women to be happy and to have equal opportunities for the greatness that humans are capable of. People have different ideas of what that should look like, but that doesn't mean there needs to be a war. It means there should be a conversation.

All of the biggest arguments both for and against feminism stem from the numbers. Data support both sides, and depending on which one you're on, they can be very convincing. Take, for example, the gender wage gap.

Non-feminists will argue that it doesn't exist, and this TIME article would agree with them. But if you look at the feminist side, they have their own proof. It's an issue like many others--if you take a stance on it, chances are you will prove yourself right.

If there were honesty, transparency and respect on both sides, there would be more progress on our shared agenda, and it wouldn't even require either side to change much.

To the women who argue that they want to start a family, learn to cook, be a soccer mom, I say go for it. There is nothing holding you back from doing that, not a feminist and not a man.

And to the women who want to become CEOs, cure cancer, work for themselves, I say go for it. And if you have to fight, fight for it.

We can't let this issue tear apart the community that we so desperately need. Don't take away the importance of interaction just because your beliefs differ. I'm not saying that this is a problem I see in everyone, but it's a problem that I've seen tear apart seemingly strong friendships.

There are times when fighting is necessary to get something done, but this is not one of those times.