I’ve been called a lot of things through the years, but lately “liberal” has been the moniker I hear the most. Some say it with a laugh, others say it with anger.

Oddly enough, I’ve also been accused of being “conservative” by many others. I guess if I’m offending everyone, then I’m either doing something very right or very wrong.

Here’s the truth: I am a deeply conservative Christian who votes with that as my guiding light — and I’ve been very open about that. I’m likely more conservative than most readers of this newspaper.

I vote for candidates who believe in God, seek the wisdom of God and support issues that I think are pleasing to God.

I have been critical of president-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party for one reason — I typically vote with the party and feel more qualified to be critical because of that. I consider myself a Republican and I’ve been unhappy with what the party has become, both in Mississippi and nationally.

I realize my criticism is at odds with most of Lincoln County. The county voted overwhelmingly for Trump, though I know some did so while holding their nose.

I did not vote for Trump. I didn’t vote for Clinton either. I couldn’t place a check beside either of their names and sleep well at night.

My opinions have angered some of you, but that’s to be expected when writing about politics. I only wish more readers would write back and allow us to publish those letters. It’s only when we are open to the opinions of others that we begin to understand those around us.

I often struggle to understand how conservative Christians can support Trump with such vigor. Many of you struggle to understand how I could be critical of Trump and also be a Christian. But it’s only when we stop to listen to each other that we begin to understand the person, not just the position.

I hope we can do just that. To that end, I would encourage those who are interested in writing about politics — or about anything really — to consider writing a column for the opinion page. We are always looking for local writers and any topic is up for grabs. If you are interested, send me an email at luke.horton@dailyleader.com.

Luke Horton is publisher of The Daily Leader.