Feel Safe? Two Young Girls Climb US/Mexico Border Fence in Under 18 Seconds

Remember Homeland Security Secretary Jane Napalitano's mantra from last year the border is "as secure now as it has ever been"? (See here and here.) No one better show her the following video, which claims to show two young girls tackling, and conquering, the U.S./Mexico immigration fence in under 18 seconds -- by hand:

The video comes from the creator of a film called "The Other Side of Immigration." Interestingly, the goal of that film and the above video is not meant as a statement on the necessity of increased border security. Rather, the film bills itself as a documentary purporting to show the plight of Mexicans, why they are flocking to the U.S., and an alternative theory on how to stop illegal immigration.

"The film explores why so many people leave small Mexican towns to work in the United States and what happens to the families and communities they leave behind," the film's website says. "By understanding 'the other side' of the story, we’ll begin to think about new and more creative ways that the U.S. and Mexican governments can work together to solve our undocumented immigration problem."

According to the YouTube video's explanation, "new and more creative ways" include investing in Mexican infrastructure.

"How many greenhouses could we build for the cost of that wall?" the video's creator, Ray Germano, asks. "If we invest in Mexico, people won't want to leave."

Germano currently holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas and a master's degree from the University of Chicago. In his bio, he wonders if Americans would turn to illegal immigration to support their families under the right circumstances:

I wonder, however, how many Americans wouldn't hesitate to violate the immigration laws of a foreign country if doing so meant vastly improving the life chances of their children. Would you think twice about migrating illegally to Canada, for example, if the U.S. economy was in ruins, your children were destined for a life of poverty, and there were plenty of high-wage jobs to be done in Canada?

The description ends with a final question: "Would spending a dollar to reduce poverty in Mexico be a more effective way to reduce undocumented immigration than spending a dollar to build more fencing along the border?"

However, neither the author's bio nor the video's description say anything about the deadly drug cartel violence gripping Mexican border towns, which many cite as evidence for increased border security and consistently enforced immigration laws. Those people, like the video, also note that the money spent on the fence is worthless without accompanying enforcement.

(H/T: Gawker)