If I were in Sam's shoes I would side with his father because his father knows more about getting people to change their minds about civil rights and more experience, and he has done it all nonviolently. If all the protesters go around with guns, the only thing the people who are being pointed at by the guns will see/hear are the guns. They won't listen to whatever the people with guns have to say-they'll only fight back. Stick is only a teenager and if having a gun makes him feel like he's doing something that's fine. If Stick wants to go get himself hurt, his father can't stop him, but Sam should listen to/side with his father who has more experience.