Mozilla would probably die, and that would be a very bad thing. So you are right, this is not the wisest path (it is the bravest, but the graveyard is full of brave people).
The other option is to contribute to educate the public by being honest. Giving the false hopes that they provide in their statement, they are doing a disservice to the public by downplaying the risk posed by the government.
I would have hoped from more honesty from Mozilla; they should just call it what it is: the US is a police state, so you'd better protect yourself.