Car won't start, security light stays on. Car won't even crank, so it'* NOT a VATS issue right? What IS my issue then? It looks like my resistor pellets are worn down; could they not be making contact with what they need to?

In 97 you should have fuel pump prime, crank and momentary start until the fuel prime in the cylinders has burned. Then it should stall. That'* what it should do when the VATS is active.

Do any lights come on? If so, do they dim when you turn the key?

With the Security light glowing steady, I would have thought it to be a VATS issue. The car would only start for a second if the starter was jumped, and the starter would not engage on its own. Usually when the system intervenes though it will leave the security light on the whole time, even after you turn the ignition off for a few minutes.

No, I turn the key, and all lights shine bright as ever, I just get NO crank from the motor at all, and the security light stays on.

Check for voltage at the starter when the key is turned.

Check your battery cable make sure they are tight. I know someone who has bogus battery cables and weird **** happens

It'* not the cables...took off, cleaned, greased, everything'* fine there.

My dad seems to think the resistors on the keys aren't making contact(its intermittent, so sometimes they do, sometimes they don't?) and thinks I need to get a new key.

Here'* a option. https://www.gmforum.com/electrical-133/bypass-vats-92-99-a-279119/ It will bypass the VATs chip. If the key is the problem this will correct it.

When the security light stays on like it is, that usually means the system is reading the WRONG resistance, instead of not reading anything <symbolized by a blinking security light> when either the key wears out or the wires break in the ignition cylinder. If it is something with the passkey system, the bypass posted above should work okay.