Now if you show someone with powered up Steem that you won't respect the merit of their upvotes, it gives them good reason to dump their stake to the market which drives prices down.

Because downvoting is "showing someone with powered up Steem that you don't respect their vote". No. That's your lonesome narrative, and if someone thinks so and acts as per your narrative I'll be the first to show them the door and suggest that if they perceive such things as disrespect then it's wiser to avoid the reality of not everyone valuing what they do and scurry fast from the internet, before they are irreparably damaged by what others rate them as.