HOA’s should be banned, and the petty little Hitlers that run them should be punched in the face.
I live in a rural area and would never want to live under the authority of an HOA.
But I do own a rented condominium which is under such restrictions. I read every word of the Declaration and Bylaws before I signed the purchase agreement. I served as President of the Association for two years and am a member of the Board through proxy today.
Our pet restriction, published in the original documents establishing the association, is that a tenant may have one small dog or one small cat. That's it. No snakes. No chickens.
Condominium living permits a person of lesser means to own a property of much better quality than they could otherwise due to the common ownership of the property, the common walls and roofs, etc. The price you pay to enjoy this increased standard of living is that you must agree to preserve the characteristics which constitute the increased standard of living of your co-owners.
There are plenty of alternative homes available to those who don't wish to surrender their freedom to an association. They are more expensive for a reason.
As for the "petty little Hitlers" that is a problem you can run into when dealing with a group of people who don't object to being regulated by an association. It's simply part of the trade-off. The "Hitlers" are always serving at the pleasure of the membership. A majority of the membership can always replace them.