Janie - I agree with most of what you say but I wonder about this - "One of the primary influences on the choices each of us make are our values."

I think the primary influence is education because learning to think critically gives us the ability to make informed decisions. Thats why education should be a right.

If you are uneducated, you must rely on values which are contained within a belief system that is handed down from one generation to the next.

So yes, values are the primary influence but values can change or be altered depending on your level of education.