Yes, indeed. Let's only make merit available for highly educated people who speak fluent English. That won't decimate the forum at all.

We're talking about a single merit for people who have been active on the forum for months. Although you might not agree with the quality of their posts, they are real people trying to make a contribution the best way they can. These people are not here just for bounties or spam. The posts you quoted as "their worst" actually proof that.