People Fear Government Reprisals for Joining the Constitution Party?

From the Constitution Party discussion forum:

I have been talking to some people I thought might be interested in the Constitution Party. They like the platform.  Here is the part that bothers me. They are scared. They don't want to join because they are worried that the FBI will be monitoring the membership and they would end up in some investigation. To me that fear indicates that we have to try even harder. It is reprehensible that the government actually has people afraid to associate with alternative political views. 

Anyone else familiar with such fears?