RE: Interesting newly posted AMA documents concerning the FAA regulations
Being part of an organizaton does not automatically make people "sheeple" or "lemmings", no more than not being a member of something makes someone the equivalent of an ostrich with their head stuck in the ground to avoid trouble.
Groups of individuals and their organizations can be heard and can get things done.
Recently, the model rocket folks, through their two main organizations, the National Association of Rocketry and Tripoli, won a long running lawsuit with the BATF over unfair classification of certain types of composite model rocket fuel. These regulations were crippling their hobby. They fought the government and they won. There have been other battles mentinoed in various FAA regs threads like this one concerning groups fighting the FAA...aircraft maintainers and the AOPA have both gotten the FAA to back down from NPRMs.