Thugs are thugs not because of what they wear, how they talk or what they believe.

They’re thugs because they disregard the rights of others and take advantage of situations for personal gain and attention.

Thugs took control of Baltimore streets Monday and in doing so took the attention off the very matter they alleged to be upset over in the first place.

Violence erupted in the streets just hours after the funeral for Freddie Gray. The 25-year-old suffered spinal injuries and eventually died following his arrest on April 12. The matter is under investigation.

Peaceful protests over Gray’s death turned to violence when thugs realized they could take advantage.

The rioters turned an exercise in free speech into an opportunity for free stuff. Looters ransacked and burned businesses. News photos show smiling looters leaving stores clutching toilet paper, Oreo cookies and the like.

Gray’s family has expressed extreme disappointment in the violence that has attached itself on their very public grief.

The Maryland National Guard and additional police officers were called in late Monday to restore order to the city.

News video showed some signs of hope, including a scene in which a mother snatches up her rioting young son by the collar and begins smacking him around, presumably showing some parental discipline that is far overdue.

We hope, however, that more adults will step up and say, “Enough.”

When the smoke clears, we hope law enforcement officers will leave no stone unturned to locate and prosecute anyone who can be proven to have been involved in the rioting and looting.

America needs to locate its collective pride again. We owe it to ourselves to put an end to these misguided acts of thugs.