So what you're trying to say is users with member rank should consider only meriting users on the same level with them and (maybe) lower ranks?. I disagree because  doing so will defeat the purpose of the merit system as it was introduced to highlight quality posts made by forum users of all rank instead of concentrating on a particular rank.

Out of generosity of helping lower rank users rank up, one can concentrate on meriting them but that shouldn't stop you from meriting quality post from higher rank users when you see them.

I believe the main purpose of the merit system was to highlight a quality post when you see one so that shouldn't be neglected irrespective of the posters rank.