Free Will, Or Determinism?

Today I'd like to write about the concept of free will, as well as determinism. What is the difference? Determinism is the idea that everything is already determined to happen in the future. In contrast to determinism, free will is the thought that we can all make decisions based off of what we desire, and that we can make those decisions freely at will. While determinism and free will are controversial, this post will delve into my own opinion about this subject.
I think free will is an illusion. We are not the only factor that influences our decisions. There are also environmental factors such as genetics. I think that the mind makes rather general decisions at first, then filters out the finer decisions that it will determine later. For example, I'm planning on going to the mall in a month. The factors that influence my decision are anything that gets in the way such as time, or a delay, or maybe I have to make an unexpected payment. Obviously, I can still go with my decision, except that it won't necessarily be possible. It wouldn't be possible, were my free will to make everything go as planned. The mind can affect free will because you might forget about a decision, or you might get an emotional breakdown, which means you might need to get emotional support. I think that the mind is reminiscent of free will, which is why I consider free will an illusion. 
As for determinism, I think that genetics play a major role. This is why we have people of various philosophies. Some think that there is a supernatural explanation to the world and others think that it's all coincidence. There is no reason to think that any of these philosophies is most favorable, much like there is no reason to think that one society is superior to another. To punish someone with what you think is the wrong philosophy is better than yours, is just like saying that I'm better than you because my hair is a different color. What I'm trying to get across is the fact that genetics make you think what you think, and there is no proof of a need to change your philosophy about everything!
Here is some more information regarding this topic free will http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-free-will-an-illusion/
The TV show, Through The Wormhole, gives a thorough scientific explanation of free will