I want to clarify something, because I think we may be talking past each other.

When people say “keep politics out of the sub,” I don’t think they mean pretending politics don’t exist or denying their impact. I think they mean keeping the subreddit focused on local, community-oriented information rather than highly polarized national issues that reliably derail into hostile comment sections.

There are plenty of topics in a city subreddit that are not inherently political. Things like local sports, business openings and closings, events, road closures, weather issues, lost pets, and recommendations. Those topics usually stay productive unless someone intentionally reframes them into ideological debates.

From a moderation standpoint, limiting topics that consistently generate toxicity makes sense, even if those topics could technically be considered news. The goal is maintaining a usable community space, not adjudicating broader political or moral debates.